One of the main objectives of heritage management policies is to promote measures aimed at the maintenance, restoration and enhancement of cultural and archaeological assets. To guarantee this, the responsible institutions must promote actions for the dissemination and transference of cultural heritage, as well as promoting actions with the greatest possible rigour, developing scientific and technical studies that support and improve intervention methods. Recent technological advances in fields such as photogrammetry, digital terrestrial scanning and 3D modelling have made a significant contribution to the digital preservation and dissemination of architectural heritage.European administrations, in their desire of regional development, as well as the central or local governments have notably boosted the recovery of their rich and diverse heritage. A particular case is Priego de Cordoba’s Castle, a stronghold which was one of the most important monumental icons of the Andalusian period.Currently, this site is the main target of many architectural interventions and a model due to the implementation of last generation techniques in digital preservation. The local archaeological department promotes a large number of interventions and archaeological excavations. This has made a priority to get a qualitative geometrical 3D documentation, and therefore a constantly updated the point cloud (xyzRGB).This paper is focussed on presenting the results of the digital preservation process through 2D planimetry obtained from photogrammetric technics, 3D models, and geospatial data. These techniques are a previous step to large architectonical intervention planned in Priego de Cordoba’s Castle, in particular, the identified structures as Wall 1 and Tower 1.Two out of the three studied structures can be found in Wall 1. They correspond to a cobblestone pavement located in the rampart of the Wall 1, which is a post-medieval period; a double-stepped semi-underground path, excavated in the infill of the wall. The third structure studied in this paper consists of a well, which drills vertically the infill of the wall of the Tower 1. This feature is interpreted in the last research as a vertical well to place the weights of the clock sited in this tower until the 19th century.This work combines two techniques of geometric documentation to obtain a more complete point cloud. The terrestrial laser scanning, and the photogrammetry due to the higher colour performance, along with the completion of the point cloud obtained with the laser scanner. Along with this study, we will analyse the features which will better define the best technique to fit the documentation of the different structures. Their geometric characteristics, the incidence of sunlight or the accessibility will condition the use and choice of the technique.We have stated that there is software nowadays which makes it easier to access and consult the information through new computing hardware. Besides, we have highlighted the importance of knowledge and synergy from the different stakeholders implied (city council, technological centre and private companies). The final goal consists of making the society aware of the capital importance of digital preservation as well as dissemination of science.

In recent years, 3D digitalisation has experienced significant growth, revolutionising the way we capture, process and use geometric data. Initially conceived for industrial applications, these technologies have expanded to multiple fields, offering unprecedented accuracy and versatility. Depending on the accuracy and efficiency to be achieved in a specific field of application, and on the analytical capacity, a specific 3D digitalisation technique or another will be used. This review aims to delve into the application of 3D scanning techniques, according to the implementation sector. The optimal geometry capturing and processing 3D data techniques for a specific case are studied as well as their limitations.

Nowadays, an object can be viewed both physically and virtually. In both cases, the visualization process consists in a continuous variation of the observer’s perspective. When looking at objects, visual interactivity is achieved by the tandem formed by human vision and the position of the observer. 3D technology allows the viewer to delve into this aspect: starting from a virtual reconstruction. It is possible to go from the virtual 3D reconstruction of a model shown on a display to a real element materialized by means of a scale model or prototype. The innovation of this research lies in the development of an efficient method for printing 3D models, with a specific emphasis on material and time savings. This study aims to obtain the three-dimensional physical model of the walled enclosure of the city of Priego de Córdoba in the Middle Ages, at its time of greatest historical development, i.e., in the late 15th century. To this end, 3D printing technology was applied, which is an innovative method for the realization of architectural scale models. The performance of 3D printers, with different printing formats, was evaluated in terms of efficiency and quality of the architectural scale models. Our theoretical assumption showed that material saving is determined by the orography slopes of the model. Obtaining slopes with values in the range of 1–5%, a large format printer is the most suitable option; in the range of 5–15%, the medium format printer is recommended; and, for a slope greater than 15%, the small format printer should be used.

La emblemática almazara Puente de Tablas situada en Priego de Córdoba se ha perdido con el paso de los años debido a las diferentes obras de urbanización y reconstrucción realizadas en la zona. Este artículo resume tanto el estudio de la ubicación como de la reconstrucción virtual 3D de todos sus componentes constructivos y funcionales, valiéndose del descubrimiento del plano inédito conservado desde 1802 –época en la que la almazara aún estaba activa– en el Archivo de la Real Chancillería de Granada. También se hace uso de: (a) los escasos restos que aún perduran, (b) los estudios arqueológicos realizados en esta ubicación, (c) construcciones similares en comarcas cercanas, así como de (d) las últimas técnicas de levantamiento de patrimonio cultural existentes realizadas con escáner láser.

Nowadays, engineering and archaeology work together to address the documentation, conservation and promotion of cultural heritage, a collaboration that has led to an interdisciplinary field in constant evolution. [1, 2]. This cross-disciplinary approach has enabled the development of advanced tools and methodologies that combine traditional techniques with emerging technologies, contributing to the conservation and dissemination of cultural heritage at a global level. [3, 4, 5].