AGUILAR CIVERA, Inmaculada, El ingeniero Lucio del Valle en el distrito de Valencia. El manuscrito inédito de su correspondencia, 1842-1846. Una aportación a la historia de la ingeniería, Valencia, Conselleria d'Habitatge, Obres Públiques i Vertebració del Territori, 2015. ISBN: 978-84-482-6046-0

This recent publication by the Cátedra Demetrio Ribes is dedicated to one of the most important Spanish engineers of the nineteenth century: Lucio del Valle. Del Valle, who was responsible for iconic projects like the Madrid–Valencia road via Las Cabrillas, the Isabel II Canal and the lighthouses of the Ebro Delta, worked in Valencia between 1840 and 1851 on various important public works jobs. As a result of this activity, Lucio kept a record in his diary of different aspects of the projects and the difficulties that arose day to day.

With this manuscript as a starting point, the author, Inmaculada Aguilar, immerses us in the golden age of public works—the mid-nineteenth century—with a reflection on the life and work of Lucio del Valle during his stay in Valencia. The main focus is road construction (including tolls, road workers’ houses, difficulties caused by poor weather, construction workshops, etc.), with special emphasis on the Las Cabrillas road, the port works at El Grau and Cullera, the province’s semaphore telegraph network and the risks involved in Valencian public works.

The book is complemented by a digitalised version of Lucio del Valle’s previously unpublished manuscript on DVD. This is therefore a key publication and bibliographical source for any researcher looking to delve into the engineer’s life and work.