They are located in the middle of the irrigated land, on the Petra braç (arm) and in a field behind the church of Sant Bernart Martí of Poblenou. It can be reached by the Montcada trail and, at the entrance to Poble Nou. take the Carpesa trail, immediately on the left of the trail you can enter on foot along a path bordering the irrigation canal.
From the 11th -12th century, before the Christian conquest of the 13th century.
According to Guinot and Selma (2005) and Selma (2014), the tongues of land of the upper-middle branch are the last divisor of the Petra braç (arm), one of the three irrigation canals that constitute that of Mestalla one. They are at the end of their hydraulic system and that is why they do not have the dimensions and size of other divisors located in places where the irrigation canals carry more water. In this case what it does is to divide the water between the two braços (arms) that structure the irrigated land of Poble Nou, old medieval territory of the Petra alqueria (farmhouse). It is located between the Montcada path and the bottom and side of the séquia mare (the main irrigation canal) of Rascanya to the east, until it reaches the area of medieval marshes that were in the area known as the Carpesa ravine and from there the excess water ended up in the Carraixet ravine. Considering the existence of this alqueria in Petra at the time of the conquest by Jaume I (James I) in the 13th century, it is logical to think that the origins of the divisor are Islamic. There are no indications of relevant changes in its function over the centuries and it has always been owned by the Mestalla irrigation canal commune until the present day.
According to Guinot and Selma (2005) and Selma (2014), this tongue of land has been little more than stones and a simple spur for centuries, because even today the irrigation canals that are part of it are made of soil. It has little to do with other tongues of land of l’Horta (the irrigated land of València) that had to split water flows that were much more abundant. The most significant change took place around 2004, when the water was divided into two braços (arms), one of which was made of concrete, and the other was made of metal to open and close the respective canals. Everything is new, but at the same time it has lost its simple traditional architecture.
The divisor has been rebuilt with concrete and is in good condition.
- Plan de Acción Territorial de Protección de la Huerta de Valencia. Versión Preliminar. Memoria de Ordenación. Anexo. Fichas de Elementos de Arquitectura Hidráulica. Índice de Fichas, (dir. Arancha Muñoz), Generalitat Valenciana, 2008, Fitxa EPH_08.01, p. 155.
- Revisió simplificada del Pla General de Valencia (2013): Catàleg de Béns i Espais Protegits de natura rural. EPH_SNU_17.04, pp. 227-230.
- Pla d’Acció Territorial d’Ordenació i Dinamització de l’Horta de València (PAT de l’Horta). Generalitat Valenciana, 2018. Catàleg annex. Element Patrimonial EPH_08.01, p. 357-358.
GUINOT, E., SELMA, S. (2005): Les séquies de l’Horta Nord de València: Mestalla, Rascanya i Tormos. València, Conselleria d’Agricultura, Col. Camins d’Aigua n. 6, pp
SELMA CASTELL, S. (2014): Paisatges històrics, patrimoni i didàctica. (Les séquies i les hortes del Tribunal de les Aigües de València). Tesi doctoral publicada en PDF. Castelló, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló, p. 292-293.
GUINOT, E. (2005): “L’Horta de València a la Baixa Edat Mitjana. De sistema hidràulic andalusí a feudal”, Revista Afers. Fulls de pensament i recerca, n. 51, pp. 271-300.
GUINOT, E.; SELMA, S., LLORIA, R. (2003). El patrimoni hidràulic de les séquies del Tribunal de les Aigües de València. Informe elaborat per a la Direcció General de Patrimoni de la Generalitat Valenciana, Conselleria de Cultura, València.
HERMOSILLA J. (Coord). El patrimonio hidráulico del Bajo Turia. L’Horta de València. València, Direcció General de Patrimoni Cultural-Generalitat Valenciana, 2007.
Photos: Càtedra L'Horta de València - Google Earth
