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The symbolic book La Ciutat de València. Síntesi d’Història i Geografia Urbana (Valencia City. Synthesis of Urban History and Geography), published in 1972 by professor Manuel Snachis Guarner, is introduced by full-time university professor Josep Vicent Boira now with a revised and extended edition. This updated version, published by the Publications Service of the Universitat de València, incorporates a renewed graphic corpus that enriches the work of new content and images.
The Muralla Hall of the Rector Peset Hall of Residence hosted the presentation of the new edition of the book La Ciutat de València. Síntesi d’Història i Geografia Urbana, published in 1972 by professor Manuel Sanchis Guarner and now, Josep Vicent Boira completes and updates with new content y, especially, with a renewed graphic corpus.
With the Arab wall of Valencia as a backdrop, the large attending public saw, at the hands of curator Josep Vicent Boira; Principal of the Universitat de València, M. Vicenta Mestre; director of UV Publications Service, Teresa Ferrer, and the mayor of Valencia from 1979 to 1988, Ricard Pérez Casado, the peculiarities of this work and its new contributions. All of that while Valencian illustrator Ortifus draw over the presentation ceremony.
“A good portion of the history that is included in this magnificent work contains a portion of the history of our University.” With these words, the principal stressed the link between the academic institution and the history of the city. A joint path, of more than 525 years old, that has allowed for transforming Valencia and its society.
Likewise, the principal wanted to thank every publishing house, company and institution that has made each one of the editions of this work possible and that has contributed to highlighting the importance of the history, culture and heritage of the City of Valencia. Next, she congratulated UV Publications Service, with Teresa Ferrer at the front, for this “splendid work.”
Finally, she wanted to recall Sanchis Guarner, an example of suffering in Valencian society throughout the 20th century, and to whom this new edition pays tribute along with all those people who fought to defend democracy and freedom in Valencia and Spain.
Teresa Ferrer started her intervention remembering the exhibition that the UV organised in 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first edition of this book. A curated exhibition by Josep Vicent Boira where some of Guarner’s unpublished drawing where shown, now integrated in the new edition.
The principal highlighted the challenge that bringing about this new edition entailed, but also the satisfaction of the final outcome: “It makes you feel proud of the role a public institution like the Universitat de València plays in the creation and dissemination of culture to the whole of society.”
A work that, according to Teresa Ferrer, has resulted in the incorporation of more than 130 new images, 130 original drawings by Guarner, 122 photographs of the city, in addition to the digital restauration of more than 200 images of the original edition to improve its quality.
Josep Vicent Boira, curator of the work, started by highlighting the importance of the original book, claiming that “it opened the eyes to many generations about how the city used to be, the esteem it must have had, in an important moment in Valencia, in the 70s, when the city ran the risk of being rife with inequality.
Boira shared how the idea for this new edition emerged: “It originated from the necessity to bring this work and the new generations closer with an edition that was alive. An updated book that reached libraries but that wasn’t just another reprint, rather, something more.”
A work that frames itself in a period that Ricard Pérez and its team had to fight against certain urban projects that threaten Valencia, in the neighbourhood of El Saler, the transformation of the Turia riverbed and the preservation of its historical heritage.
For his part, Pérez, after briefly going over his time as mayor of Valencia, he praised the one he used to call “Don Manuel”, highlighting his love and commitment to the capital of Turia, values reflected in a book that covers urban planning, art and history.
