Vernacular architecture and Landscape between the river Tagus and Toledo Mountains

Abstract

The variety of soils, topography and distances between the river Tagus
and the Toledo Mountains in Spain has been a crucial factor for the development of
isolated vernacular architecture related to agriculture and farming in this area. The 

aim of this study is to analyze how the landscape heterogeneity has determined the
different building types and construction details of vernacular architecture. All the
isolated buildings studied, related to farming activities at the north-west side of the
Toledo Mountains, have been extremely dependent upon a harsh environment in the
surroundings of the mountains, but subject of permanent benefit from the economic
resources on the banks of the river Tagus. The results of this research project show
how creating a descriptive map of this architecture does not only require the definition
of the different construction details, but also the analysis of the progressive mutations
and changes that can be observed as we descend from the mountains to the
river. Most simple building types become more complex as orography and soil composition
allow for the attainment of greater resources and profit. Other vectors of
transformation that crosses the map from East to West are the rocky outcrops and
sandy territories, or the clay and slate soils that, in some parts, reach the river. The
understanding of the vast decisions that had to be made in the construction of the
buildings, considering all the various factors mentioned, has been one of the major
objectives of this study.