Iron Architectural Decorative Elements in the Urban Landscape of the Historic Centre of Lagos, Portugal. A Contribution for Sustainable Tourism

Cultural sustainability matters tangible and intangible heritage, cultural diversity, and the cultural identity of territories. Historic centres have considerable heritage resources that honour the legacy and knowledge generated by humanity in the past, and it is fundamental to preserve and transmit them to future generations. With the industrial revolution, innovative materials and techniques were developed. These are visible in 19th century buildings, as there was an intensive use of decorative elements on their facades, in which the use of cast and wrought iron artwork stood out, such as the window grilles and balconies, fanlights and side panels, doorknobs, knockers and hinges, among others. These metallic elements participate in the composition of the buildings, enhancing the urban landscape. The perception of the importance of these decorative elements in the architectural language of the buildings located in the historical centre of Lagos, Portugal, led to an inventory of the iron elements on the facade of buildings, finding that they have specific characteristics in terms of shape or design, material, and symbolic representation. These architectural elements are adapted to artistic movements and to distinct periods. This study presents the spatial distribution of cast and wrought iron elements indicative of the Romantic period of the end of the 19th century and to the Art Nouveau period of the beginning of the 20th century. The results indicate that the decorative iron elements have great expression, giving aesthetic value to the urban landscape and cultural identity being an opportunity to enhance the attractiveness of the historic centre through outdoor cultural routes.