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Popayán hosts the VI International SILEPARQ Seminar 2026: a gathering to celebra...

Popayán hosts the VI International SILEPARQ Seminar 2026: a gathering to celebrate and preserve Architectural Heritage

30 April, 2026

The southwestern region of Colombia embraces its heritage in an event that promises to be a milestone in the conservation and appreciation of architectural patrimony. Popayán, the capital of the department of Cauca, is hosting the VI International Seminar on Architectural Heritage Surveying, bringing together experts, academics, and students in the fields of architecture and heritage conservation. This seminar takes place in the Historic Center of Popayán, recognized as one of the best-preserved colonial sites in Colombia and declared a National Monument in 1959.

The realization of this event in Popayán is the result of an academic collaboration process led by Professor María Isabel Turbay from the Architecture program of the University of Cauca. In 2024, during the visit to Colombia of Professor Massimo Leserri from the Politecnico di Bari (Italia), the first approach was established through an exhibition funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture. After being presented in Bogotá, the exhibition was brought to the Museo Negret in the caucana capital, where Professor Leserri had the opportunity to explore the city’s architectural heritage and engage in academic dialogue with Professor Turbay. From this exchange emerged the proposal to host the seminar in the city.

Turbay and Leserri discussed the possibility of holding the seminar, which had already been hosted by other Latin American cities such as Havana, Río de la Plata, Cartagena de Indias, and Mompox. This dream culminated in the creation of an interinstitutional agreement between the University of Cauca and the Polytechnic University of Bari; an agreement that not only facilitated the hosting of SILEPARQ in Popayán, but also strengthened academic and cultural ties between Colombia and Italy, promoting meaningful exchanges in the field of architectural heritage.

Thus, the VI International Seminar on Architectural Heritage Surveying, SILEPARQ 2026, has as its central objective to train participants in traditional and digital methodologies for architectural documentation, using advanced tools. “These tools, such as photogrammetry, laser scanning, and drones, allow us to accurately capture the geometry and constructive characteristics of heritage assets. With this information, we can analyze their state of conservation and guide responsible interventions that guarantee their preservation and proper management,” stated María Isabel Turbay, a faculty member of the University of Cauca, who is responsible for leading this space.

In addition to promoting the exchange of knowledge and techniques that contribute to the valorization, conservation, and enhancement of Popayán’s architectural heritage, the event seeks to raise awareness among the local community about the cultural richness represented by the city’s built heritage.

In this regard, Professor María Isabel Turbay, a key figure in the organization of the event, commented: “In Popayán, since we live surrounded by heritage, we think we know it, but in reality conservation must be a rigorous study based on scientific knowledge. The idea of protecting it is not only emotional; one must also learn, through knowledge, how to protect what is valuable to us.”

For his part, Professor Massimo Leserri emphasized that “the Italian school has a strong inclination toward digital surveying, but here there is a focus on the material component that we do not have. In the seminar we reaffirm that we are all custodians of the city’s heritage; that was the central theme: mestizo heritage as cultural reconciliation. Here there is a variety of extraordinary cultural experiences, and we must find a way to integrate them. We have seen that in this country, some forms that have developed were the result of integration, of the fusion that has produced a syncretic beauty of the world.”

This international meeting reaffirms the role of the University of Cauca as an active guardian of the region’s cultural legacy and as a bridge between local knowledge and global knowledge. In addition to the above, exchange spaces of this level also highlight that heritage is not only a memory of the past, but a living responsibility toward the future. By opening its doors to academic cooperation, research, and the training of new generations committed to conservation, the University of Cauca demonstrates that protecting the architectural wealth of Popayán is a collective task. In this sense, initiatives such as SILEPARQ 2026 fully embody our motto #HeritageOfAll, reminding us that caring for the city, its history, and its identity is also caring for what we are and what we aspire to be as a society.