Transcripción y difusión de la documentación manuscrita del archivo municipal de La Nucía mediante el uso de inteligencia artificial
Archivo Municipal de La Nucía, Guillem Chiner Betlloch
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1. Introduction
The project for the transcription and dissemination of handwritten documentation from the Municipal Archive of La Nucía is an innovative initiative that combines heritage preservation, digitisation, and artificial intelligence to facilitate access to local history. Its main objective is to transform a highly valuable but difficult-to-read documentary collection into an accessible, understandable, and useful resource for the general public.
The Municipal Archive preserves documentation dating back to the 18th century, linked to the origin of the municipality in 1705. These records are a key source for understanding the historical, institutional, and social development of La Nucía and its surrounding area. Over the years, the City Council has prioritised their preservation, particularly through the digitisation process initiated in 2018.
2. Initial situation
Before the development of the project, the archive had more than 30,000 digitised pages available through a web platform. This represented a significant step forward in preservation and access, but it did not resolve a key issue: the difficulty of reading handwritten documents.
Old scripts, abbreviations, and document deterioration made their content largely inaccessible to the general public. In practice, this limited their use to specialised researchers, reducing the archive’s social impact.
In addition, the existing web platform had technological limitations, including a non-intuitive interface and limited search tools, making both public access and internal management more difficult.
3. Solution developed
The project proposes a comprehensive solution based on two main pillars: the application of artificial intelligence and the technological renewal of the archive.
On the one hand, an automated transcription system for handwritten texts has been implemented using probabilistic indexing techniques. This technology converts document images into readable text, facilitating understanding and enabling full-text search.
On the other hand, the archive’s web platform has been completely redesigned, providing a modern, accessible, and user-friendly interface. The new portal allows easy navigation and access to both digitised documents and their transcriptions.
The renewed archive can be accessed at:
http://arxiumunicipal.lanucia.es/
A dedicated platform for consulting AI-transcribed documents is also available at:
https://transcripcions.lanucia.es/la_nucia/
4. Project development
The project has been implemented progressively, prioritising the documentary collections of greatest historical and administrative value.
To date, approximately 10,000 pages of handwritten documents have been indexed and transcribed, out of more than 30,000 digitised pages. This first phase has focused on the series of Municipal Council Minute Books.
This is the most important documentary series in the archive, as it records all decisions taken by the City Council since its foundation. These documents provide a detailed account of public decision-making over time, making them a key resource for both research and administrative purposes.
5. Results and achievements
The project has significantly transformed access to the municipal archive.
Firstly, it has removed one of the main barriers to access: the difficulty of reading handwritten texts. Thanks to automated transcription, any user can now understand documents that previously required specialised knowledge.
Secondly, it has introduced full-text search capabilities, greatly enhancing research and consultation possibilities.
Furthermore, the new web platform has considerably improved the user experience, enabling fast and intuitive access to information.
Finally, the project represents a real example of the application of artificial intelligence in public administration, demonstrating its value in cultural heritage management.
6. Social and cultural impact
The project has a particularly strong social and cultural impact. By facilitating access to historical documentation, it democratises knowledge and brings the archive closer to the public.
The archive is no longer a resource limited to specialists but becomes an open tool for students, residents, and researchers. This encourages interest in local history, strengthens collective identity, and promotes knowledge of the municipality’s roots.
It also creates new educational opportunities, enabling the archive to be used in schools and training activities. Additionally, it fosters local research and citizen engagement with the past.
From an institutional perspective, the tool allows efficient retrieval of relevant historical information, supporting municipal management, particularly in matters related to past decisions or heritage.
7. Future outlook
The project has a clear long-term vision. The 10,000 pages already transcribed represent the first phase of a broader process that will eventually cover the entire archive.
Further dissemination, training, and engagement activities are planned to maximise the archive’s social impact and consolidate its role as a reference in innovation applied to documentary heritage.
8. Conclusion
This project represents a major step forward in the modernisation of the Municipal Archive of La Nucía. Its main achievement is transforming a historical documentary collection, traditionally difficult to access, into an open, understandable, and useful resource for society.
By combining digitisation, artificial intelligence, and technological renewal, the project not only preserves heritage but also makes it accessible and relevant in the present.
Ultimately, it is an initiative that connects past and future, demonstrating how innovation can serve culture, public administration, and society as a whole.
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