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[EN] This text aims to provide a summary of the formal guidelines for the strategic management of a large-scale monumental military complex. In recent years the Castle of Monzon (Huesca, Spain) has called for a strategic planning process within a flexible timescale taking into consideration the issues currently affecting it. The debate between conservation and restoration, its relationship with the surroundings, the land on which it stands, pre-existing elements, possible uses and management are some of the key points discussed. The aim of the master plan was to establish the main strategic axes for the design and implementation of the action plans needed to attain the objectives set. Far from easy, these objectives have been defined following an extensive process of study and analysis carried out by an interdisciplinary team.

[EN] This article presents a detailed study of the traditional construction with earthen masonry walls based on 553 case studies throughout Spain. In order to facilitate their identification and interpretation, the variants in this study have been assorted into constructive groups with similar characteristics. In the discussion chapter, a quantitative analysis of the results is provided, highlighting the most common variant. Conclusions reflect on how the combination of opportunity and adaptation to the context-characteristics essential to vernacular constructions-shed light on a wide range of alternative techniques in this architecture. This article further expands on the existing information on earthen masonry, essential to proposing studies and projects aiming to protect, retrofit, and consolidate this type of architecture in Spain and other countries., This study is part of the research project "SOStierra. La restauración y rehabilitación de arquitectura tradicional de tierra en la Península Ibérica. Líneas guía y herramientas para una intervención sostenible" funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [BIA2014-55924-R].

[EN] Jack arch floors are structures made of timber joists, with round or squared section, and segmental vaults either made of flat tiles or poured plaster conglomerate. They are especially diffused along the Mediterranean coast of Spain and can be considered as a main feature of the historical and vernacular architecture of the area. In order to assess and grade these structures several Spanish standards have been considered; however, even if the information contained is useful the Italian standard for the on-site diagnosis UNI 11119 of 2004 has been preferred. The method described in this standard leads the assessment through the grading of each and every timber element and the assignation of bearing properties that are essential for the consolidation project. This article will expose three examples of jack arch floors of the Valencian Community graded using the Italian standard and the conservation issues that arise from the results.

[EN] The Bofilla tower (Valencia, Spain), at 800 years old one of the oldest buildings still standing in the whole region, is a rubble-reinforced rammed earth construction almost 20 m high. Its precarious condition called for preservation works and the enhancement of the surrounding archaeological site. However, these works involved a serious risk that the original construction might lose its hallmarks and its history, which had great narrative potential, due to the plasticity of the earth. Furthermore, as often happens, a great deal of the character and antiquity of the tower were linked to the erosion and abrasion of its rammed earth surfaces, so it was necessary for the preservation to try to alleviate or stop the degradation that threatened the tower's survival and, at the same time, conserve its narrative potential, its aura and its ancestral character. After performing a comprehensive preliminary study of the construction and its state of repair, a large number of preservation tasks were carried out, from cleaning the facades by hand to reconstructing the structure of the tower in several spots, such as the south-western corner and, especially, the entrance in the northern facade, which was on the verge of collapse. Other operations included filling in the lacunae in the fabric both inside and outside the tower, micro-pointing the rubble filling in the most degraded areas of the southern facade and protecting and consolidating the crowning. In addition, new floors and a staircase leading up to the top of the tower were inserted in the places where their traces were still visible to avoid damaging the fabrics and to perform the most faithful archaeological reconstruction possible. The article addresses the study, reflections and technical operations carried out on the tower during the works on site, with the objective of maintaining the original materiality of the rammed earth fabric and the traces of its construction and life as a testimony of its history.