Exploring the Lighthouse of El Morro in San Felipe: Professional Practice and Academic Collaboration for the Conservation of Immovable Cultural Heritage in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30763/Intervencion.297.v1n29.76.2024

Keywords:

conservation, characterization, assesment, coastal heritage, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, maritime infraestructure

Abstract

This work describes the conservation practice carried out in the Lighthouse in the El Morro Castle in San Felipe, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico; located in a 16th-century fortification that went through two phases of construction, whose different materials now present deterioration specific to coastal environments: humidity, salinity, and wind erosion. As a building listed in the World Heritage Sites (WHS, UNESCO), coordination between local authorities and the US National Park Service (NPS) is crucial for the conservation, and management of the Lighthouse in the El Morro Castle in San Felipe. Moreover, professional practices between academic institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the field, of conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property are essential to deepen the knowledge and skills of professionals; however, improvements in the availability of resources and time are necessary to maximize their effectiveness.

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Author Biographies

Sarahí Soriano Orozco, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE), Consulado de México en Salt Lake City, Utah

She has a degree in Architecture from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS), and a Master’s in Restoration and Conservation of Immovable Cultural Property from the National School of Conservation, Restoration and Museography (ENCRyM). She has worked with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO-Mexico) in the field of heritage management and the project “Diagnosis of the San Felipe de El Morro Lighthouse, in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico”, together with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and the National Park Service (NPS).  She heads the Department of Cultural Affairs in the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City, Utah, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).

Rodrigo Sáinz Lara, General Office for World Heritage, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Mexico

Architect by the Universidad of Veracruz (UV), with a master’s degree in Restoration and Conservation of Immovable Cultural Property by the National School of Conservation, Restoration and Museography (ENCRyM); he is currently completing the certification process. He is the Head of the Technical Support Department in the General Office for World Heritage belonging to the National Institute of Anthropology and History. He has taken part in national and international practices in the UNESCO-Mexico office, as well as in the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the World Heritage Centre.

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Additional Files

Published

2024-07-31

How to Cite

Soriano Orozco, S., & Sáinz Lara, R. (2024). Exploring the Lighthouse of El Morro in San Felipe: Professional Practice and Academic Collaboration for the Conservation of Immovable Cultural Heritage in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Intervención, 1(29), 185–233. https://doi.org/10.30763/Intervencion.297.v1n29.76.2024

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 29 (2024): enero-junio

Section

Informe académico

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