Archaeology of the coastal defensive landscape. The geographical system of Mediterranean watchtowers. (2022)

In the 16th-18th centuries, the Mediterranean experienced a boom in the development and construction of military architecture due to the confrontations between the Spanish Crown and the Ottoman Empire, which led to the formation of a veritable maritime border through a defensive system based on watchtowers and fortifications, which were reproduced with the same criteria of functionality in the different coastal kingdoms. Coastal defences are of great interest because they bear witness to the history and culture of the Mediterranean; however, watchtowers are in a serious state of deterioration and marginalisation. This research highlights the value of the entire system by geolocating numerous watchtowers throughout the Mediterranean and studying, in the specific case of the province of Alicante, models of revaluation based on heritage management, cultural tourism and landscape, promoting the systemic value and cultural tradition of the community.