Virtual Technologies for Archaeological Studies of Nolla’s Ceramic Mosaics

Abstract

Along with the success of the second Spanish Industrial Revolution, it was established one of the most important ceramics factories in Europe specialized in high resistance and quality floor tile. The great Royal Families of the moment such as Amadeo de Saboya (king of Spain), Imperial Hohenzollern family, Romanov (Imperial Russian family) and general Prim, came around to its installations for decorating their palaces, as well for composing part of some emblematic buildings such as Moscow's underground or Gaudi's Casa Batlló. They even stayed at the house that the proprietor owned into the industrial complex: the Palauet Nolla. This house could be considered as the ancestor of the current "showroom", since like a sampler, all the floors, skirt boards and façades of the building were decorated with the most bold and striking compositions that this ceramic tiles (tesseras) permitted. The most brilliant creativity is shown through the design of these amazing compositions whose image is unmistakable. During the last 2010, there has been elaborated a wide and complex study of the above mentioned building, warning that it was long ago an ancient convent of the XVI century, to achieve his initiation to protect it from the abandon suffered during the last 50 years. The great patrimonial value of the house rests on his ceramic decorations, very damaged and pillaged compositions with the passage of time, but possible of recovering and restoring. This paper proposes the presentation of the methodology applied to get a trustworthy metric elevation of the building container as well as the ceramic compositions. Documentation and detailed study of the tesseras (tesellas) have helped ensuring a high quality 3D with application of techniques and materials low cost. The result is a return to the golden period for the recognized Palauet Nolla. Ceramic tiles. Industrial heritage. Virtual restoration. Low cost. Nolla.