The Utrera City Council has approved an agreement with the University of Seville to research and promote its historical heritage. The first project will be a digital twin of the medieval Synagogue.
The Utrera City Council and the University of Seville have sealed an agreement to promote the study, conservation, and dissemination of the municipality's historical heritage. The agreement, approved by the Local Government Board, establishes a framework for collaboration that will allow the development of joint projects in the archaeological, architectural, urban, and documentary fields.
The initiative includes the use of new research methodologies and technological tools to bring the cultural legacy closer to the public. Among the planned actions, the creation of a pilot case focused on the Utrera Synagogue stands out, considered one of the most significant medieval synagogue complexes in the Iberian Peninsula.
The delegate for Culture, Historical Heritage, and Tourism, María José García Arroyo, has emphasised the importance of the agreement: “This agreement represents a very important step towards continuing to disseminate and deepen the knowledge of our heritage in partnership with a leading institution like the University of Seville.”
The pilot project will consist of developing an advanced digital twin of the Synagogue. Unlike a conventional three-dimensional reconstruction, this model will not provide a single definitive image of the building. The system will allow for visualisation and switching between the current state of the property, the different interpreted historical phases, the documented archaeological evidence, and the hypotheses that remain open for future research.
In this way, the digital twin will integrate geometric, historical, archaeological, documentary, and architectural information, incorporating the various scientific hypotheses about its evolution. The goal is to turn a finding of enormous historical complexity into a dynamic tool for both research and public dissemination.
The municipal official has highlighted that “the choice of the Utrera Synagogue as the first project demonstrates the significance this site holds within the national historical heritage. The creation of its digital twin will allow us to document its evolution with the utmost scientific rigor, facilitate new lines of research, and bring this extraordinary cultural legacy closer to all citizens through innovative tools.”
The agreement will enable students and researchers from the University of Seville to work directly on this site, developing a digital model that will serve as a basis for learning and research applied to heritage. The Utrera Synagogue, discovered in recent decades, has been the subject of various archaeological campaigns that have revealed its importance as one of the few preserved examples of medieval synagogue in Spain.
For the residents of Utrera, this project represents an opportunity to know and appreciate a heritage that until recently remained hidden. The digital twin will allow for virtual visits and access to detailed information about the building's evolution, which will facilitate its tourist and educational dissemination. The City Council expects the model to be available within two years, once the documentation and technological development phases are completed.
The collaboration between the city council and the university is part of a broader strategy to enhance the value of Utrera's heritage. The agreement also includes the organisation of seminars, publications, and outreach activities that will allow sharing the research results with the general public.
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