Heritage education and dissemination in the castles of the province of Alicante (Spain) and the voivodeship of Pomorskie (Poland)

This paper analyses the heritage education and dissemination strategies developed in the medieval castles of La Atalaya (Villena) and Castalla in the province of Alicante (Spain) and Kwidzyn and Sztum in the voivodeship of Pomorskie (Poland). This research constitutes a continuation of previous studies that focused on the analysis of cultural management models and their various components, including the musealisation of fortifications. The study begins by analysing the policy of using restored castles for cultural purposes, and compares various aspects of the educational and dissemination actions developed in the selected sites, including the following: the understanding of education, the types and methods of educational activities, and the channels of communication with the public and the audience of the educational activities. The discussion also encompasses supra-regional activities in which the institutions responsible for the management of the castles are engaged. Finally, in addition to conclusions on past activities, the possibilities for future joint educational activities are presented, designed to establish synergies and facilitate networking. The qualitative methodological approach, in conjunction with the techniques of semi-structured interviews with experts, participant observation and documentary analysis, have been utilised for this purpose.