ORIGINS.
1. Valencia owes its own existence to the Turia river. Few times, a geographical
accident certainly complex, has determined the life and the history of the city.
As the city lot is marked by the watercourse of the river , the riverbed or riverbeds
of it conditioned effectively the limits and the urban expansion of the city. During
centuries , the angle formed by the river whose vertex concides where the San
Jose bridge is, was a horizon scarcely surpassed for the city until XX century.
2. Once the river was integrated in the city-forked in two or even three branches as
it has been publicly praised by the traditional theory or object of the capture of a
principal watercourse over a secondary one , as it has been postulated by recient
theories- the urban transformation of the city is formed according to precise specific
limits, without facing from its origins the periodical risks that involve the proximity of
a
river.
TURIA X CENTURY
3. None human intervention as the construction of canals or to empty
watercourse or watercourses, which has been lying with bridges-except
existence of two of these in the XI century- the construction of dykes or piers,
plantations, could not has been determined with documental accuracy until
century.
the
the
tree
XIV
4. The first historical new about the river was the existence of a bridge during the
muslim period. That new is documented by Huici, and thanks to this documental
source we know that it was named al-Qantara, that is, the bridge, bridge par
excellence as it was possibily the only stone bridge of that moment.
This previous bridge was substituted by the Serrans´s one , which had two barbican
towers in each of its extremes and it worth the praised of the writer Ibn al Qardabus
who said : “ there is nothing more perfect in Al- Andalus than him and it was made
by Abd al-Aziz, grandson of Amanzor”.
Destroyed in the flood of 1088, it was rebuilt and it had to be quite wide as Llibre
del Repartiment, eight years after the Reconquest of Don Jaime, remarks the
existence of workshops among the first door and the middle door closed with keys
and
chains.
5. Another bridge of the muslim period of which we have documental information is
the al-Warraq, a wooden bridge defended aswell by two barbicans and where the
king Mubarak died accidentally towards the year 1017 or 1018 according to the
arabian chroniclers. Placed where now is lifted the Trinidad bridge, al-Warraq
bridge must have followed the primitive principal bridge of the roman city.
6. These two bridges-if no other existed-asume credibly the realization of some
canalization
construction
and
to
stave
in
the
riverside
land.
TURIA XIV-XV CENTURY
7. As a complement of the canalization constructions of the muslim period, are the
first piers constructed in the christian period already. Some news are documented
about some breakwaters built in front of old Carmen Convent fence until dels
Catalans Door, due to the flood in 1328, a very important flood that determined,
especially, the construction of the de Murs e Valls factory. Penalized the
watercourse property , as a privilege of Pedro III el Grande, by which is granted and
returned for the whole city all the promenades of the rivers for its public use, it was
precisely a municipal institution created ex profeso, the so called Vella de Murs e
Valls factory and afterwards the Nova dita del riu factory as the politicaladministrative instrument that made possible the endowment of this urban and
monumental
equipment
at
the
time
it
was
necessary.
8. There is documental evidence that these dykes were built in both banks, but not
on the necessary extension to guarantee the success of the enterprise nor the
velocity that required the contigency of the risk. To mention Cruilles, few years
later, in 1374, the Murs e Valls meeting was given a new free will to continue
channeling the river and to return the quietness of the city.
9. In the middle of the XIV century, the artificial stave in of the watercourse had to
achieve the actual wideness, at least at the sector situated in front of the city walls
built already, wideness that even if it was excessive for the normal watercourse of
the
river,
it
was
proportional
for
the
periodical
floods.
10. Certainly, towards 1349 the artificial riversides had to be completely channeled.
At least in the sector placed between Nou , dels Catalans or Trinitat front doors,
because in the mentioned date, the Consell de la Ciutat orders the total
reconstruction
in
stone
of
Serrans´s
bridge.
11. In 1356, under the running of Pere Viñes, it is decided the construction of
another stone bridge, lying in front of the “Puerta del Sol” or “Dels Catalans”.
Destroyed due to a flood, it is the immediate preceding of the actual bridge
“Trinitat”,
built
in
1402.
TURIA XVI CENTURY
12. The Serrans bridge was destroyed numerous times. The bridge that exists
nowadays dates back to 1518, which by order of the meeting Murs e Valls it was
determined to “labrat e reedificat e refet tot en pedra ab gran fonaments e Ilit”, as
an inmediate substitution of the previous one, destroyed by the huge flood of 1517.
It was agreed, in the same way, that its water towers were wider and longer, as an
imitation of the Trinitat bridge. According to Garin, this bridge “is the only one that
posses semicircular frames in the so-called “toros” or “junquillos”, one over the
cutwaters all along the exterior part of the handrails and another over this last
mentioned
to
smooth
down
the
superior
face”.
13. After the construction of these bridges, the next built according to history are
the bridges of “El Mar” (the sea), built several times in wood and in 1576, in stone
for the first time. Destroyed due to the flood of 1589, it will be three years after
when it is agreed the construction of the actual bridge. The project was created by
Francisco Figuerola, “pedrapiquer” ( break up the stone) from Xativa and neighbour
of Valencia, concluding then the creation of it in 1596. In 1782 it had to be
reconstructed because the bridge lost five archs in the flood of 1776.
14. Almost contemporary to the “Puente del Mar” is “Punte del Real”, that
substitutes a stone bridge destroyed because of the flood of 1589. The construction
of
the
actual
bridge
finished
in
1598.
15. Thus, the Turia river runs on a strategic natural line of the city but it generates
at the same time, against its impetuous and unpredictable avenues, those
wonderful defense constructions that are parapeted. As a result of the tremendous
havocs caused by the flood of 1589 when it was determined the construction of the
parapeted placed between the Trinidad bridge and the Real bridge, the construction
was done between 1591 and 1592 by the Nova dita del Riu factory. Without
interruption of the construction, this continued until the “El Mar” bridge, finished
here the parapet in 1596. In this section predominates the masonry, with the
handrail decorated with balls distributed in parts, simple ornaments, common in the
architecture of the period, and which has given the model to the rest of the
ampliations
needed
afterwards.
TURIA XVII CENTURY
16. Between 1606 and 1674 the parapet between the Mislata and the San José
bridge was built, a construction of rough stone scarcely and irregulary placed
spheric milestones but with parapets with benches , in all, it is the sector that
covers the Petxina walk, the richest on concrete complements of the baroque
period. At the same time this second sector of parapets is built, the height of the
Portal Nou front door and San José bridge is concluded, also named Nou because
it is the most modern of the old ones. The construction took place between 1607
and 1608 and it has thirteen small semicircular archs, narrower on light than those
archs
of
the
other
bridges.
It
was
extended
in
1906.
TURIA XVIII CENTURY
17. In 1729 it was concluded the construction of the old north parapet, the one of
the other bank, that was placed between the San José bridge and El Mar bridge.
Until nowadays, this parapet had less height than the one on the front because the
technicians of the Nova del Riu factory understood that it was more convenient for
the defense of the city.
18. Such a huge engineering construction , had an extention of 7.093 metres at the
right riverside, very near to the city center and of 2.722 on the opposite one. Future
extentions done basically between the fifties and the sixties of the XX century
following the model of the old factory, extend the parapets along wide lines of more
than
thirteen
kilometres
of
length.
TURIA XX CENTURY
19. During the first half of the XX century they dealt with the construction of the
following bridges: “Pasarela de la exposición”, construction of 1910 by the architect
Ramón Lucini, totally reconstructed after the flood of 1957: “Puente de Aragón”,
built between 1927 and 1933 according to the project created by the engineer A.
Piera and decorated with four allegoric scultures by J. Terencio leaned against the
milestones of the entrance and of the exit; “Puente de Nazaret” or “Puente de los
Astilleros”, built in 1929, the “Puente de Campanar “ or “Puente de Transits”,
constructed in 1938; “Puente del Ángel Custodio”, inaugurated in 1949, also by the
engineer A. Piera, and as the three mentioned before, it was extended on one of its
sides and “Puente de Ademuz”, whose project is by Guerau Roger, inaugurated in
1959.
20. As a result of the flood in 1957, the parapet of the “Moreras” walk was built ,
that is, since Monteolivete until the actual railway bridge , it is an extention that
takes more tan one kilometer. If in the first nothern sector was placed the traditional
ornament of stone balls, here was only made the masonry wall.
TURIA 1957
21. The flood suffered by Valencia in 1957 markes a before and an after in the
history of the city. According to the official figures, 59 dead people in the capital city
and 29 in the province, and thousands of people without their homes is the
heartbreaking result of what the valencians have to do against scarcely 50 years.
22. During the early morning of the 14th October 1957, the valencians can only look
for a refuge. The city was becoming a huge boat. 4.500 cubic meters by second of
running has taken with it bridges , buildings , ways , harvests and roads. The first
running pulled up “Puente de Madera”and the Campanar´s footbridge, that was
comunicated with the Patronato country house. The second running, broke from the
middle of the “Puente de la Exposición” and it took with it the railway bridge of
Nazaret.
23. After the chaos, tons of rubbish and mud were covering the city: The natives of
Valencia started to recieve help but not with the amount and speed that the chaos
is requiring. Months passed and the solutions were not arriving. Protest voices were
raising: “When men become mute, the stones speak”. In this way Martín
Dominguez denounced the delate of the governmental help of the city. The director
of “Las Provincias” echoed the opinion of the generalized disgust among the people
of Valencia because of the scarcity of means to reconstruct Valencia after the
chaos. The Mayor, Tomas Trenor, Marquis of the Turia, will leave the mayorality
because of his critic against the governmental leave of Valencia.
24. In 1958, the cabinet meeting passed the Plan Sur, which diverted the Turia river
from its arrival to the city and it will do a complete dredging of the actual
watercourse,
to
avoid
new
floods.
TURIA 1960
25. The 20th of October 1961, the supreme courts pass a new law that will allow the
financing to put in practise the Plan Sur. Later, an extraordinary cabinet of the town
council, celebrated the 12th of January of 1962, will pass the budget project to
finance the reconstruction and bases of execution. The valencians will defray a big
part
of
their
futures
through
special
taxes.
26. In 1966, the General Plan of Urban Arragement”, adapted to Plan Sur, projects
that the old watercourse will be transformed into a highway as a way of penetration
and connection with the city. From this moment, shyly first and with more strength
onwards, voices will be raised against this option. The people of Valencia want the
land of the Turia river to be a big garden , and they are not going to stop until they
achieve
this
aim.
TURIA 1970
27. The fate of the old watercourse of the Turia river is going to be one of the most
polemic topics and without fissures is going to move the valencians against the
governmental plans of transforming the land of the river into a highway. In 1976 it
will be created the “pro watercourse comission”, integrated by a big group of
professionals and neighbours, which will popularize the strong slogan that
manifests the general will: “El Ilit del Turia es nostre i el volem verd”.
28. The 9th of January 1976 the town council begins the steps for the Public
Contruction Ministry to recognize the domain of the city about the old watercourse
of the Turia “ aspiration and eagerness of this excellency council which represents
unanimously the feeling of the people of Valencia”. The 20th of January of the same
year, the cabinet asks the modification of the Plan Sur and the confirmation of the
municipal propierty to declare it a green zone. The first of December of 1976, the
King Juan Carlos signs the free concession to the Valencia town council of the land
of the old watercourse of the Turia river with an extention of 1.193.217 square
meters. The State reserves for itself 170.000 square meters near to the mouth of
the
river.
29. The town council of Valencia, the 6th of May of 1977, passes inicially the project
of modification of the General Plan of Urban Arrangement of Valencia and of its
municipalities, in relation to the use of land included in the old watercourse of the
river, in all its way placed inside the municipal propierty, then its urban clasification
will be of free space and green zones destinated to be a Public Park. In a session
celebrated the 30th of May of 1978, the General Cabinet of Gran Valencia passed
the change on the calification of the old watercourse of the river to transform it
entirely into a green, cultural and sport zone, with unavoidable accesses to the park
,
as
it
was
proposed
by
the
town
council.
30. The second of December of 1978, the Public Construction Ministry, gives
access to become true the will of all the people of Valencia and passess finally that
the watercourse will be a green zone. Its development will be done through a
Special
Plan
of
interior
reform
of
the
old
watercourse.
31. The 7th of December of 1978, the Cabinet of the town council agrees to pass
the Basis to call a competition of ideas to write the Special Plan of the Urban Park
of the Turia river. In December of 1979, the result of the competition is done and
the
first
price
is
declared
void.
TURIA 1980
32. In March of 1979 the first democratic municipal elections will be celebrated. The
new government continues with the legal steps to transform the watercourse into a
public park. In 1980 the constructions will start and in 1981, the town council will
ask Ricardo Bofill the elaboration of the arrangement project of the old watercourse
whose scale model will be shown in “La Lonja” in 1982. This first sketch will suffer
numerous modifications . During this year, also will be done the title deed of the
biggest part of the old watercourse in favor of the town council , transfered by the
State in 1976. It will be in 1985 when the transfer of 170.000 square meters will be
completed, that the State reserved the first time and which extends until the
Astilleros
bridge.
33. The 9th of February of 1984 the Special Plan of Interior Refom of the old
watercourse of Turia river will be passed, and the 17th of May of the same year, the
plan will be provisionally passed. From this date , the plan will be executed,
progressly, the landscape area of the old watercourse and adaptation of its
equipment.
34. The 25th of April of 1987 it will be inaugurated the Palau de la Música, one of
the architectonic and cultural landmark more important of the city. At the end of the
eighties, it will be incorporated two new elements to the landscape of the
watercourse: the bridge “9 dóctubre”, designed by Santiago Calatrava, and the
“Gulliver”, a space of recreation for the children of Valencia.
35. From the first inicial project designed by Ricardo Bofill during the eighties, three
of them were carried out: The one that corresponds to the “ Music of Palau” stretch,
the sport stretch, ( the “ Campanar “ stretch) , and the one made by the “ Vetges
Tu” team ( Rovella stretch), in which the stand for a river was evoked.
TURIA 1990.
36. During 1991, new “ Turia Garden “ spaces went into operation. They were the
3rd., 4th., and 5th. stretches placed between the “ Campanar “ and the “ San José”
bridges. Places full of gardens and sport grounds started to be settled.
37. In 1995, the bridge , which was designed by Santiago Calatrava and well
knowed as “ La Peineta” , was opened for the traffic. Its shape, evoked by the
people from Valencia, was made in a modern way taking into account the historic
bridges.
38. In 1998, the stretch of Monteolivete, inside the water course L´Hemisferic, was
opened. It was an amazing place for cultural and free time activities that constituted
the Art and the Science city. Then, the "Grafic Ocean ", “and the "Arts of Palau”
works went into operation.
39. In June 1988, a new bridge joined the two riversides: “ The Arts bridge” with
155 metres length, placed next to the “ Ivam”.
40. The Kingdom bridge, the largest of Valencia, with 220 metres length, was
opened for the traffic on the first of December of 1999 to join “ Avenida del Reino”
(Valencia Kingdom Avenue) with “ Avenida de Francia” (France Avenue). It was a
classic
style
work
made
by
the
engineer
Salvador
Monleón.
TURIA, 2000
41_ The city welcomed the 3rd. Millenium with a new cultural infrastructure. In
November, 2000 the Science Museum of Felipe Prince was opened to people,
intended to become the most amazing cultural emblem for the diffusion of culture of
the Community of Valencia. In 2001, in front of the museum, a big garden was
opened. It was designed to evoke the water that one day ran the watercourse, in
which 20 pretechnological sculptures were joined. Also, in 2001, the landscape
area of the civic course stretch, next to the Exhibition bridge was finished.
42. In the year 2002, a new action makes a landmark on the modern history of the
Turia river. The isolated Cabecera park, with an extension of 334.000 square
meters , becomes a reality. In it will be situated landscape areas, a lake, a big
amusement park and a natural reserve (biopark). A great space designed to enjoy.
43. In march of 2002, the construction of “Puente de las Flores” is started, between
“Paseo de la Ciudadela” and “Avenida de la Alameda”. In its designed dominates
the simple forms and a complete stetic integration with the Turia Garden. With a
total length of 153 meters and a width of 24 meters, of which the half is devoted to
gardens and pedestrian areas. Also in 2002, the land where is placed the “Palacio
de les arts” was covered with roses and mediterranean plants and it was
announced the construction, aorund the “Ciudad de Ciencias” of the “Worldwide
FIFA
Museum”.
44. The Turia river, twenty five years later of the passing of its transformation, it
starts to take the colour that the natives of Valencia dreamt before. Changed now in
the center and axis of the ludic, sport and cultural activities of Valencia, the history
of the Turia river always has been an opened history: the one that the people of
Valencia want to write.