Multi-scalar digital approaches for heritage knowledge. Integrated documentation strategies of the Morella fortifications in the cultural route of Jaime I

Over the centuries, the fortified complex of the city of Morella, in the province of Valencia, has been shaped by numerous conflicts and political changes, preserving and at times adapting its defensive system. This adaptation reflected the various military strategies of the wartime periods that influenced sites along the coast and inland areas of the Valencian province, integrating urban structures with the natural ruggedness of the surrounding terrain. However, the fortifications reveal their historical significance not only through the tangible presence of walls, towers, and fortresses but also through the resilience of a community that has transformed a defensive apparatus into a symbol of cultural identity and historical memory. This contribution presents the research activities undertaken within the European H2020 Prometheus project, aimed at structuring methodological protocols for multiscale acquisition and restitution for the documentation and morphometric analysis of sites along cultural routes, including the fortified structures of Morella’s defensive works. Establishing a new standard for understanding fortified heritage through its digitization allows for the preservation of the architectural and historical complexity of Valencia’s fortifications in digital format, while making them accessible to an international audience and strengthening interest in the historical heritage of this and other sites along Europe’s cultural routes.