Reconstrucción virtual del puente fortificado de la Media Luna (Cartagena de Indias) a través de herramientas digitales

Abstract

[EN] Virtual reconstruction of the fortified bridge of the Media Luna (Cartagena de Indias) using digital toolsOne of the most important architectural pieces of the walled complex of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia was the so-called bridge of the Media Luna, whose first phase of construction dates back to 1628. Since its construction, the Media Luna underwent several reforms and was submitted to some projects aimed at strengthening its defensive capacity conceived by military engineers at the service of the Spanish Crown, such as Juan Jiménez Donoso and Antonio de Arévalo. Despite this, a complete plan of the bridge, demolished at the end of the nineteenth century, has not been preserved, and it was never completely photographed. This paper, as a product of a research project related to the genesis of construction techniques in Cartagena de Indias, presents a digital reconstruction of the Media Luna after gathering and analyzing cartographic information still preserved in archives, photographs taken shortly before the demolition of the bridge, as well as traveler stories, descriptions and drawings done by nineteenth century chroniclers. The integral visualization of the Media Luna and its surroundings offers new value to the bridge and contributes to the integral understanding of the fortified complex of Cartagena de Indias.