Geometry in 18th Century Bell Towers in Bajo Segura, Spain

Encarnación García-González,Pascual Saura-Gómez,Vicente Raúl Pérez-Sánchez

doi:10.3390/buildings12030256

Abstract

Bell towers are essential elements of religious architecture, which have been part of villagers’ lives for centuries and have marked their identity and orientation from a far distance. This research provides widens our knowledge of geometrical aspects of bell towers through a search for common building patterns. Throughout the history of construction and architecture, there have been specific studies about particular bell towers, but few have taken a more general approach, studying 18th-century architectural treatises and building warnings for ecclesiastical buildings after the Council of Trent. In the Spanish ecclesiastical territorial organisation, the Diocese of Orihuela and its region (Bajo Segura) had great importance, with outstanding social development and territorial expansion due to the colonising action of the clergy and nobility in the 18th century. In 1829, an earthquake had destructive effects on the area’s architectural heritage. This paper studies the bell towers that endured the earthquake by recording data in situ, generating a catalogue, and analysing and comparing the data obtained. The results outline a construction model that meets the established guidelines of the architectural treatises as far as geometrical proportions and building patterns are concerned.

Highlights

IntroductionThe town Orihuela, capital of the Alicante region of Bajo Segura, has been the Episcopal See for almost 400 years (1564–1959), and experienced outstanding urban and demographic development during the 18th century
This research makes a start at analysing bell towers, which are considered essential elements in the architectural heritage of Christianity, regardless of their relative position concerning the Church plan they are attached to
A practical path was sought to provide the necessary architectural data to understand the concept of bell tower construction, determining the common and differential aspects that they present with their architectural composition, by obtaining and analysing the parameters that relate them and establishing a bell tower pattern in the Bajo Segura region supported by technical data

Summary

Introduction

The town Orihuela, capital of the Alicante region of Bajo Segura, has been the Episcopal See for almost 400 years (1564–1959), and experienced outstanding urban and demographic development during the 18th century. This fact together with colonisation strategies fostered church building projects whereby bell towers took on a leading role in the urban fabric and scenery. They became an orientation point on the horizon, a reference for time with their clocks, and a signal of important or emergency moments with their bells.

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