Connecting Crossroads | El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro

Spanning over 2,500 kilometers from Mexico City to San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, in the United States, the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior) was an important trade route used from 1598 to 1882. Today, the Camino Real consists of sections of the historic road itself and a wide variety of historic towns, bridges, forts, churches, haciendas, and other historic resources that help illuminate the stories of the people who made this incredible journey.

The Connecting Crossroads program, supported by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and implemented by CyArk, focused on strengthening ties between Mexican and American cultural heritage practitioners and fostering greater protection and awareness of the cultural heritage found along the Camino Real. CyArk partnered with the National Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH) in the states of Chihuahua Aguascalientes, to provide training in 3D documentation and storytelling to local staff and other heritage experts in these regions. Following the training workshop, participants documented the Church of San Bartolomé en Valle de Allende and the Old Hacienda of Peñuelas in Aguascalientes, two important sites along the Camino. The 3D models were combined with interviews with experts and community members and detailed scripts to create two dynamic virtual tours that share the stories of these places with the public.