The installation of touch points along the itinerary followed by the visitors makes the Alhambra more accessible

From today the Alhambra will be more accessible to all kinds of visitors due to the installation of “Touch points”. These are panels with reproductions of artworks in wood, plaster, stone and ceramic which enable visitors to the Alhambra to use their sense of touch to perceive the characteristics and shapes of the materials used to decorate the monument, and in this way participate in its preventive conservation. This was explained this morning by the Minister of Culture and Sport of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Luciano Alonso, in a technical visit to the Nasrid Palaces accompanied by the Director of the ONCE (Spanish Blind People’s Organization) in Granada, Alberto Morillas, and the Director of the Council of the Alhambra and Generalife, María del Mar Villafranca, to supervise the installation of these panels.

The Minister of Culture and Sport of the Regional Government of Andalusia stated that this initiative put the Alhambra at the “forefront of preventive conservation strategies. The Government of Andalusia is fully committed to meeting the needs of special needs’ groups to enable them to enjoy our culture. Through this project we will continue to emphasize the idea of an inclusive Alhambra open to everyone”.
The visitor can find these panels along the itinerary of their visit to the Palace at the entrance pavilion to the Generalife, the Nasrid palaces (Hall of the Ship, Hall of the Mocarabes and Hall of the Wooden Balconies) and the North Pavilion of the Generalife. Each panel consists of a module on top of which are a variety of different pieces in wood, plaster, stone and ceramics, with explanations in Spanish, English, French and Braille. They will also be adapted for people with limited mobility. The replicas of the different materials have been made with the latest high-precision photogrammetric technology, which has generated 3D models of the pieces with high-resolution textures and high-density polygonal mesh.
According to the director of the Council of the Alhambra and the Generalife, “the Touch Points have two main purposes: “to make visitors aware of the need to preserve the materials in the monument and at the same time to give them the chance to discover these materials with their own hands”. Villafranca also stressed the fact that “making the Alhambra more accessible for all of its visitors is a constant challenge. These panels will allow blind and disabled people to enjoy the Heritage experience”.
There will be a sign on all the Touch Points encouraging visitors to collaborate in the conservation of the monument:

 “PLEASE HELP US CONSERVE THE MONUMENT. Although the materials used to decorate the Alhambra appear to be hard, there are a number of factors that can cause them to decay. Over time the friction, natural grease and dirt from people’s hands can damage even the most resistant stone irreversibly.              
The Council of the Alhambra and Generalife offers you these TOUCH POINTS, where you can touch, feel and experiment with copies of the original works.”

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