After the sudden collapse of a tower at Almonacid Castle in Toledo, Spain, on April 4, 2025, Global Digital Heritage was called upon to assist in an urgent digital restoration effort. Within just three days, the foundation had reprocessed historic aerial imagery to create a high-resolution 3D model that will now serve as the primary reference for future reconstruction efforts.
The tower, known as La Barbacana, collapsed following heavy rains, highlighting the vulnerability of the castle, which has been listed as an endangered monument on Hispania Nostra’s Red List since 2008. The site, of Islamic origin and great historical significance, has suffered from decades of neglect due in part to its fragmented private ownership.
In 2014, archaeologists from the Spanish firm Baraka Arqueólogos S.L. created a 3D model of the castle as part of a self-training exercise using drone imagery. After the recent collapse, regional authorities contacted Baraka to access the original data. Baraka then reached out to Global Digital Heritage to enhance the original model using modern processing techniques.
By leveraging advanced photogrammetry tools, Global Digital Heritage transformed the 2014 dataset into a detailed 3D reconstruction capable of supporting conservation planning and architectural analysis. This rapid intervention underscores the importance of early documentation and international collaboration in the protection of global heritage.