Rafael Dicenta de Vera (Valencia, 1900-1980) got his degree in Civil Engineering in 1925. He is part of a well known dynasty of Valencian engineers. He worked in Compañía de Tranvías y Ferrocarriles de Valencia between 1925 and 1927. After this, he started working for the Valencia Provincial Council as chief engineer construction since 1952 until his retirement.

In 1939, he created the Plan de ideas generales para una total urbanización de Valencia, which was the first general urbanisation plan for the city, as well as the Anteproyecto de Reforma Ferroviaria de Valencia, included in the process of reconstruction after the Spanish Civil War. In 1944, he was the technical representative of the Plan de Ordenación Urbana de Valencia y su Provincia, ordered by the Central Government.

His vast experience allowed him to face the problem of the railway link of that time, transforming like so, the urban organisation of Valencia at that time and building the current transportation and railway situation of the city and the metropolitan area.

His personal archive, kept by the heirs of the Dicenta-Grau family, reflects his work for the Valencia Provincial Council in the projects related to the urban transformation and the public works of the province and, specially, the Valencian capital.

The archive is composed by a wide variety of graphic documents, where a broad variety of plans and photographs of civil works, and a big amount of documents, mostly conferences and reports, from his long professional career are kept, as well as correspondence received from friends (Maz Aub, Ramiro de Maeztu or Unamuno).

The Demetrio Ribes Chair has made possible its digitalisation and has used part of its funds in research and dissemination projects, such as conferences, publications and exhibitions.