Current Watch Site

North of the Port of Valencia and just three kilometers from that city’s historic center, the lively architecture of the Barrio del Cabanyal-Canyamelar dots the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The coastal settlement, famously depicted by the Dutch painter Anthonie Van Den Wijngaerde in 1563, was once a fishermen’s village with rows of thatched cottages and farmhouses parallel to the sea, multiplying as the coastline was extended with infill from port improvements. A fire in 1875 caused great destruction to the site, after which the urban landscape was rebuilt on the original street grid. The buildings were designed using an eclectic approach, their styles ranging from historicist to modernist and later rationalist designs. The barrio was landmarked in 1993.

Years of municipal neglect and lack of inclusive urban planning have left the district in a vulnerable state. Today, over 500 buildings within the landmarked district are in danger of being demolished to give way to an extension of Blasco Ibáñez Avenue, which is intended to provide direct vehicular access from Valencia’s urban center to the coast and port. The Asociación de Vecinos Cabanyal-Canyamelar and other local organizations are advocating for an open dialogue about the impacts on the barrio. It is hoped that inclusion on the Watch will foster the development of alternative access options, to avoid the displacement of so many families and businesses, and to preserve the neighborhood’s historic environment.

UPDATE

Thanks to the continuing efforts of the Asociación de Vecinos Cabanyal-Canyamelar, in April 2012 the site was included in the “Lista Roja del Patrimonio” of Hispania Nostra. In July 2012, Spain’s Audiencia Nacional endorsed the 2009 decision by the Ministry of Culture to halt the project, which would have demolished a large section of the neighborhood. In March 2013, Cabanyal Archivo Vivo (Living Cabanyal Archive) was awarded the 2013 Europa Nostra Award in the education, training, and awareness-raising category. Cabanyal Archivo Vivo is a web-based project developed to increase awareness of the neighborhood’s heritage by collecting oral histories and creating educational and artistic materials that engage people of all ages. The award highlighted the importance of the community’s initiative in defense of their cultural heritage.April 2013

Download a 2012 Watch poster of this site (see download instructions).

IN WMF JOURNAL

• Cabanyal Since the 2012 Watch Annoucement
  June 5, 2012
  

IN THE MEDIA

• El Cabanyal en Valencia y el Berrocal de Trujillo, considerados patrimonio cultural en peligro (video)
  RTVE, October 5, 2011
  
• Génesis y éxodos de El Cabanyal
  Público.es, October 8, 2011
  
• Poison lingers from Spain's property binge
  Reuters.co.uk, November 11, 2011
  
• Deben decidir si quieren un Venice Beach o un Benidorm en El Cabanyal
  El País, December 19, 2011
  
• Cabanyal 2012: ¿Año 0?
  El País, January 6, 2012
  
• El Cabanyal queda inclòs a la Llista de Vermella d'Hispània Nostra "per risc de desaparició"
  Europapress, April 12, 2012
  
• La oposición y Salvem piden un plan que no expolie El Cabanyal
  El País, July 6, 2012
  
• El Cabanyal es lo que mejor expresa la relación de Valencia con el mar
  El País, November 3, 2012
  

SEE ALSO

• Informe sobre la situación del Barrio Cabanyal-Canyamelar (PDF)
  Comisión de la Universitat de València para el estudio del Cabanyal-Canyamelar (CUVECAB)
  

SPOTLIGHT

WORLD MONUMENTS WATCH DAY

A tour through Barrio del Cabanyal-Canyamelar took place on Watch Day to celebrate the built heritage of the area and to gather local advocates. In addition to residents and members of neighborhood associations, leaders from various international organizations participated in the walk.

In the Blogosphere: En el 'Watch Day'
In the Media: Expertos defienden una “conversión controlada” del Cabanyal sin perder la “esencia” del barrio