The vice-principal of Territorial Projection and Society, Jorge Hermosilla; the mayor of Alzira, Diego Gómez; the coordinator of the publication of the Universitat of València, the teacher Ester Alba; and Aurelià Lairón, coordinator of the City Hall of Alzira took part in the presentation ceremony, which took place on the 26th of February.

The vice-principal explained that the implication of the Universitat the València, which consisted in human resources such as researchers of the Faculty of Geography and History, must be interpreted as a way of ‘Territorialisation’ developed by the academic institution.  Quoting Ortega y Gasset, Jorge Hermosilla explained that ‘when it refers to University goals, such as education, research, knowledge, the territory is also taken in consideration.  The UV, as a public institution, has obligations towards the Valencian society, and what’s better than keeping close to it through our researchers.’

When the lecturer of the Department of Art History, Ester Alba, dean of the Faculty of Geogragphy and History started this editorial project, she impinged on the value of the local studies carried out by multidisciplinary teams of experts in different historical periods, in geography and in art history or in the cultural heritage.

The mayor of Alzina Diego Gómez highlighted the scientific and academic collaboration existing among experts of the Universitat de València, historians and local learners, ‘this publication is nurtured by a joint enhancement among the experts in Alzira and their territorial background and  the university institution.’

A lot of lecturers participate in the book ‘Historia d’Alzira’, such as Antoni Furió (Department of Medieval History and Techinical Historiogrphical Sciences), Richard Franch and Aureli Martí (Department of Modern and Contemporary History), Juan Piqueras and Joan Mateu (Geography), José Pérez Ballester and Manuel Albadalejo (Prehistory, Arqueology and Ancient History), and Ester Alba and Josep Montesinos (Art History), among others.  This publication is part of a group of works promoted and coordinated by the Faculty of Geography and History, which focus on local development as a referent of the historical, geographical and cultural analysis.  There are ten previous works to ‘La història d’Alzira’:  València, Xàtiva, Llíria, Bunyol, Quart de Poblet, Torrent, L’Eliana, La Pobla de Vallbona, Torís and Carlet.