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History
Thanks to its geographic location, between sea and mountains, Puçol’s origins date back to Roman times, when the first Romans settled in Trull del Moro. It was a small village, and we know of its existence thanks to four tombstones found in different Puçol streets. At the time the place was called ‘Puteus’, which means ‘well’, due to the humidity of the area and large amount of water they found. The Academy of the Valencian Language has established that Puçol is originally a Latin word, and it comes from ‘putteoleum’ (‘el pouet’ in Valencian).
During the Islamic period, according to historian Francisco Roca, the village starts to be called Puigsol, and it attains great popularity thanks to being located between two large fortresses:Sagunto and El Puig. In the thirteenth century the village is conquered by James I (of Aragon). Over time its name will continue to evolve into Pussol, and finally it will take on its definitive name, Puçol, which is now its official name by Council Decree. There is a report by Sanchis Guarner providing scientific evidence to support this name.
James I handed over Puçol to Assalid de Gudal, a knight of the king’s troops. In this manner Gudal became the first lord of Puçol and its first politician. Five years later, James I bought the Alquería (rural hamlet) of Puçol from Gudal, and gave it to Bishop Arnaldo de Peralta, to his Chapter and to the Convent of Roncesvalles, in repayment for the tercio diezmo (medieval royal tax) that they once lent him so he could carry out his conquests. This is how Puçol came to be under Christian control.
From the fifteenth century onwards, following the Black Death pandemic of the Fourteenth Century, the town enjoys great growth thanks to fruit exports.
The most important monuments in Puçol, the Church of Santos Juanes and the Archbishop’s Palace, were built in the seventeenth century by the Archbishop of Valencia, Juan de Ribera, who also built one of the first botanical gardens in Spain, the first one belonging to a university, and the oldest in Europe. It is said peanuts were planted here for the first time in Spain.
In 1808 the Battle of Puçol took place during the Spanish War of Independence, an important historical event that marks the fight of the town against the invasion of the French troops coming from Sagunto. At Hostalets they engaged in a fierce battle to prevent the French from advancing towards Valencia; the water from the irrigation canals was released flooding everything.
In the twentieth century, following the first democratic elections held in 1979, where socialist Josep Vicent Cuello was elected, the town was modernized and the main infrastructures it has today were built. Among them the Town Sports Hall, the Cultural Centre, the Sports Stadium, the centres Espai Social La Barraca, Espai Social Martínez Coll and Espai Social dels Majors (for the elderly).
In the twenty-first century, there have been frequent changes in government, not only in the local elections held every four years, but also with two no-confidence motions voted in 2004 and 2008. The mayor’s office has been held by Josep Mª Iborra (PSOE), José Manuel Busto (Izquierda Unida), Mariano Sanchis (Partido Popular), José Vicente Martí (PSOE), Merche Sanchis (Partido Popular) and Enric Esteve (Compromís).
Among the new infrastructures, the transformation of the stony beach into a modern sandy beach is most notable: the beach is now protected by five breakwaters that prevent sand erosion, and is bordered by a promenade along its over two kilometres of coastline. All of the above was opened in summer 2004.
In addition, in 2014 the route connecting the town with the beach, the Camí La Mar, was restored, separating the road for cars from the Vereda Mangraners, a path for walking, cycling or taking pets to the beach.
More information |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQDsOLFHa2k
Useful telephone numbers
+34 961 421 303 Puçol Town Hall
+34 669 740 119 Tourist Info (Espai Voramar, Puçol Beach)
+34 961 420 937 Guardia Civil (Spanish Police)
+34 961 420 339 Local Police
+34 961 424 086 Municipal public library
+34 961 421 949 Cultural Centre (Casa de Cultura)
+34 963 178 235 Health Centre (appointments)
+34 961 422 903 Municipal Sports Centre
Public Services:
Health Centre:
C/ Caminás
General Practice Monday to Friday by appointment, and Emergency Service 24 hours a day:
Number for booking appointments: +34 963 178 235
Emergency number: +34 963 178 240
Book an appointment: direct
+34 961 421 949 Cultural Centre (Casa de Cultura):
C/ Santa Teresa, 10 | +34 961 421 949 | Website
Contains the town library, a café-restaurant, and rooms for educational and other purposes where dance, music and art classes are provided. Meetings and exhibitions are also held here. The cinema, conference hall and theatre, are located in the building’s basement, below the square.
Municipal Sports Centre:
Avda. Molí de Vent, s/n | +34 961 422 903 | +34 687 501 295
It comprises an indoor swimming pool, four tennis courts, four frontenis courts, a running track, a football pitch, multi-purpose playing fields (basketball, volleyball, handball, futsal), a galotxa (Valencian ball game) playing field and an indoor sports hall where several indoor sports can be played, such as gymnastics or squash, among others. It also has a bar and café. The town received the Valencia Province Sports Award in 2001.
State Schools:
Jaume I
Calle de Bancalets, 2 | +34 961 421 194 |Website
Pre-school (ages 3 to 6)
Primary Education
Luis Vives
Av. Alfinach, 11 | +34 961 205 845 |Website
Primary Education
Obispo Hervás
Calle Nicolau Factor, 2 | +34 961 205 595 |Website
Pre-school (ages 3 to 6)
Primary Education
La Milotxa
Calle Rafelbunyol, 2 | +34 961 421 004 |Website
Pre-school (ages 3 to 6)
State subsidized private school Virgen al Pie de la Cruz:
Avda. Molí de Vent | +34 961 420 200 | website
Provides vocational training and advanced training programmes in several fields; particularly noted for its catering and hotel management courses. Also provides pre-school, primary and secondary school education.
Private Schools:
Alfinach
Camí Mangraners, s/n | +34 961 420 892 |Website
Pre-school (ages 3 to 6)
Primary Education
Secondary Education and Baccalaureate
Caxton College (British)
Mas de León, 5 | +34 961 424 500 | Website
Pre-school (First and Second cycle)
Primary Education
Secondary Education and Baccalaureate
American School of Valencia (US)
Avenida de la Sierra Calderona , 29 | +34 961 405 412 |Website
Pre-school (First and Second cycle)
Primary Education
Secondary Education
State Secondary School:
Secondary Education and Baccalaureate School:
Avenida Corts Valencianes | +34 961 422 237
It opened in the nineties and currently has about 900 students per year, from Puçol and other neighbouring villages without a secondary school. It is the only school in the area offering a vocational training course in Pre-school education.
State subsidized private school Virgen al Pie de la Cruz:
Avda. Molí de Vent | +34 961 420 200 | website
Provides vocational training and advanced training programmes in several fields; particularly noted for its catering and hotel management courses. Also provides pre-school, primary and secondary school education.
Other municipal services:
José Claramunt municipal football pitch:
Calle San Juan | +34 961 424 005
It opened in 1999 and bears the name of the most famous football player in the history of Puçol, José Claramunt, who played for Valencia FC and was the Spanish national team captain in the 70s. A statue stands in the square near the football pitch honouring this Puçol sportsman. Puçol’s Unión Deportiva and the football academy also have their headquarters here. The football academy includes teams of all ages ranging from the youngest junior team to veterans, and comprises about 300 players each season.
Former parish football pitch:
Calle San Juan
Since the new José Claramunt municipal football pitch with artificial grass opened, the old pitch has been used for other purposes, holding different leisure and festive events. The Bullfighting Week (Semana Taurina) is held here in late June, and the pitch also hosts horse pulling competitions (tiro y arrastre, a local Valencian sport) and other equestrian activities organized by the Sant Antoni Association; occasionally it has been used as a venue for musical performances and other events.
Espai Social La Barraca (social centre):
C/ La Barraca | +34 961 424 056
The Adult Education School (EPA in Spanish), as well the town’s two women’s associations, Col·lectiu de Dones and Mujeres Tyrius, have their headquarters here. The centre also has a well-equipped kitchen and oven, which is usually used for cookery, catering, and even pottery courses.
It has a spacious hall which is used for all kinds of exhibitions (mainly photography) and for events held by local groups such as: the launch of the local festival programme, the Puçol Athletics Club Fund gala, talks organized by political parties and electoral events, and even film screenings and workshops.
Espai Social Martínez Coll (social centre):
C/ La Costera| +34 961 424 068
This multi-purpose venue holds several municipal services: the Employment agency (this office deals with unemployment and job search matters); the Local Employment and Development Agency (dedicated to the promotion of the local economy and employment); the Municipal Play Centre (where children can go Monday to Friday, prior registration); as well as the Martínez Coll Day Centre, a project aimed at school-age young people with study problems or in difficult situations. The venue also has a PC room with internet access that is also used for the delivery of online training courses.
Churches:
+34 961 420 073 Santos Juanes Parish
+34 961 420 478 Santa Marta Parish
More information
Pharmacies on duty (out of hours) |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqw1ZL8iTH4&index=23&list=PLezQL5eJ_2dvm5aqCugWWQRpZs14T41EI
Emergencies
Emergency numbers:
+34 961 421 303 Puçol Town Hall
+34 961 441 252 Fire Brigade
+34 963 178 235 Health Centre
+34 669 740 119 Health Centre at the Beach (Espai Voramar)
000 000 112 Emergencies
+34 961 420 937 Guardia Civil (Spanish police)
+34 961 420 339 Local Police
+34 963 862 600 Clinical Hospital (Valencia)
+34 963 862 700 La Fe Hospital (Valencia)
+34 962 659 400 Sagunto-Mini Fe Hospital (Sagunto)
+34 961 421 846 County Court and Civil Register Office
Other useful contact numbers
+34 961 422 903 Municipal Sports Centre
+34 961 421 949 Cultural Centre (Casa de Cultura)
+34 961 464 885 Municipal Swimming Pool
+34 673 839 640 Martínez Coll Day Centre
+34 673 839 638 Local Employment and Development Agency
Pharmacies on duty (out of hours)
(updated daily)
|
Pharmacies on duty (out of hours) |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqw1ZL8iTH4&index=23&list=PLezQL5eJ_2dvm5aqCugWWQRpZs14T41EI
Cultural Heritage
Church of Santos Juanes:
The construction of the main façade of the Church of Santos Juanes started in 1587, when the tasks of measuring and staking-out the perimeter were carried out, and they started digging the foundations.
In 1588 Juan de Ribera, Patriarch of Antioquia and Archbishop of Valencia, set the first stone in the Church of Santos Juanes of Puçol, dedicated to St. John the Baptist. At that time the population was approximately 400 and, even though the village did not need a temple of such magnitude, it was of major significance to the villagers, as it would be the first thing to be visible at a distance. The local inhabitants focussed all their efforts on building the temple, as there are hardly any other buildings dating from the seventeenth century.
The church was under construction until 1607. The Patriarch transferred the Holy Sacrament from the old church to the newly finished temple, and celebrated the first mass that same day, on 28 of October 1607. On the same day and in the same procession, before the Custodia of the Holy Sacrament, the image of Our Lady the Virgin at the Foot of the Cross, was transferred. This figure was found in 1570 on the hill of Cabeçol de El Puig. It is thought to have come from the sixth to eighth century Hispanic Church and that it was hidden in 714 and during the years of Arab rule to avoid its destruction, which leads us to believe this small piece could be the oldest remaining Christian iconography in the whole Region of Valencia.
The construction of the temple was financed by means of private donations and the alms collected at the kiln . Inside, it holds several sculptures and paintings, such as the image of Our Lady the Virgin at the Foot of the Cross, the Church’s main altarpiece, by Manuel Vergara, or the fifteenth century altarpiece representing the Mystery of the Trinity.
Church of Santos Juanes Virtual Tour:
[Visita Virtual Santos Juanes]
Walls of the Botanic Gardens:
The walls were built in 1607 next to the Church of Santos Juanes. These old baroque walls are all that remains of the Archbishop’s Palace. It is a masonry construction, with semi-circular turrets crowned by blue ceramic tiles.
It once contained a botanical garden, one of the first in Spain, the first university botanical garden, and the oldest in Europe. It is said peanuts were cultivated here for the first time in Spain.
Its condition was progressively deteriorating until, considering the importance of its conservation for its historical and architectonic (baroque style) interest, it was renovated in 1999.
Church of Santa Marta:
The other church in Puçol is the Church of Santa Marta. It was built in 1964 by its own parishioners, which adds to its appeal. It is a functional church, built in a modern style that plays with natural light and built during the final stage of the II Vatican Council.
Inside we can find several artistic works, such as the altarpiece representing a quote from the Gospel, the iconography of Saint Martha, patron of the church, as well as several sculptures including Mary Immaculate and the Christ of Hope.
Church of Santa Marta Virtual Tour:
[Visita Virtual Santa Marta]
‘La Torreta’ (The Tower):
Another important building we find here is the Talaia Tower, also known as ‘La Torreta’. Built in the fourteenth century, it is considered to be the oldest house in Puçol. Its purpose was to watch and protect the town from potential attacks. The tower is of Moorish style and was built in stone, tile and clay brick. Its location, in the old town (Calle de la Torreta), makes it more interesting and majestic.
It is currently a private dwelling and cannot be visited inside. However, it has been restored and is officially listed as a building of Cultural Interest due to its historical and cultural significance.
Molí de Vent (windmill):
In the outskirts of the town we can find the Windmill (Molí de Vent), approximately one kilometre west of the town centre, on the crest of hill, with a privileged view of the town and the sea. It is one of the few Arab windmills in the Region of Valencia with these characteristics.
It stopped functioning as a mill in the nineteenth century, and it doesn’t currently have a specific use, although nature and culture lovers may enjoy it whenever they wish. It is considered of environmental and popular interest, which raises the possibility of further restoration, however, its surroundings --with the nearby dual carriageway and power station-- are not favourable for tourist purposes.
Molí de Vent (Windmill) Virtual Tour:
[Visita Virtual Molí de Vent]
Altarpieces and old houses:
Altarpieces and old houses enjoy certain protections due to their architectural and historical value and their antiquity. There are 39 listed houses, mainly located in the old town. You can enjoy the harmony, tranquillity and beauty of the town’s streets as you follow this itinerary, discovering the different house façades as you go along.
In addition, you can enjoy 17 fully protected antique ceramic altarpieces, constructed for votive and decorative purposes on old town house façades.
Some of these houses and altarpieces are located mainly along the following streets: Sant Joan, Sant Pere, Sant Miquel, Cavallers, Sant Antoni, Morvedre, Els Horts, Castello and Mariano Amigo.
Traditional Crafts:
These two traditional crafts are part of Puçol’s cultural heritage, although nowadays we may rarely come across them, as these professions are in marked the decline and are being substituted by mass production:
The corretjers , in charge of manufacturing and repairing horse harnesses and other farm equipment made of leather.
Basketmaking, which consisted of making hand-crafted baskets, large farming baskets, espadrilles and other objects made of esparto.
More information |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQxo3c2Im9g
The two churches, the tower and the mill are the most noteworthy elements of Puçol’s cultural heritage
Getting here
Puçol is located at the northern limit of the L’Horta Nord district. Visitors fall in love with the harmony that pervades the town’s streets, with its Mediterranean character and the friendliness of its country people. The slogan, ‘Puçol, between sea and mountain’, has been a distinctive feature of the town’s image.
The landscape is the first thing to surprise the accidental tourist. The municipality encompasses an inland mountainous region, rising 480 metres over sea level, a central area of irrigated cultivated land, which is completely flat and noted for its citric orchard, and finally the beach, which runs for over two kilometres along the coast and is Puçol’s main tourist attraction. For the last decade the beach has been bordered by a sea promenade and breakwaters were installed to protect its sand from the beating of the Mediterranean.
The municipality of Puçol is located in the northern limits of L’Horta Nord district, bordering with the Camp de Morvedre district, and the town is 18 kilometres from Valencia, capital of the Autonomous Region. Coincidentally, the extension of the municipality is also 18.11 km2. It is surrounded by the neighbouring villages of El Puig de Santa María to the south, Sagunto to the north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the east.
The municipality includes three urban areas: inland, at the feet of Sierra Calderona, there are three housing estates that bridge the municipalities of Puçol and Sagunto (Alfinach, Los Monasterios and Monte Picayo); the town centre and industrial estates are located in the agricultural land; and alongside the Mediterranean we find the beach of Puçol. In total, the population currently exceeds 19,500 inhabitants.
You can reach Puçol by car, bus, train, and for sports lovers, by bike or on foot.
By car...
Three roads lead to our town:
- Dual carriageway A-7 (take the Puig-Puçol exit).
- Dual carriageway V-21 (with two exits for Puçol).
- CV-306 (former national road N-340), connects several villages within the district and leads to Sagunto to the north.
If you love back roads, the local roads connecting El Puig-Puçol and Lliria-Puçol, are the best options. Along these roads you can follow part of the tourist route dedicated to recovering the ancient Via Augusta, which crosses the Region of Valencia and is the longest Roman road in the whole Iberian Peninsula. Both roads are suitable for cycling.
By bus...
You must take the MetroBus line between Valencia and Sagunto, departing from Valencia’s bus station. The bus route follows the former Barcelona road, passing regional villages like Tavernes Blanques, Meliana, Albalat dels Sorells, Massamagrell, La Pobla de Farnals and El Puig, before arriving at Puçol, the penultimate stop on Valencia Metropolitan Bus (MetroBus) line 110, with final destination Sagunto and the Port of Sagunto.
The bus journey from Valencia takes 48 minutes on average and there are currently 7 daily departures from Valencia to Puçol and the same number of return trips from Puçol to Valencia.
You can check the timetable on the MetroBus site.
By train...
You can get to Puçol using the commuter train lines from Castellón to Valencia, as well as the line from Caudiel to Valencia. Trains depart from the Estación del Norte and the average journey takes 25 minutes.
Monday to Friday trains run approximately every half hour, and on weekends every hour, in both directions. You can check the timetable on the Renfe Cercanías (Renfe Commuter Rail) site for Valencia.
Getting around in Puçol...
Puçol has a local bus service connecting the housing estates, the town centre and the beach, with a winter and a summer timetable that you can download from the Town Hall website (www.puçol.es) or using the following link:
Winter timetable
By taxi...
You can easily find a taxi at the town’s taxi rank located on Valencia avenue. You can also call local taxis directly:
Nacho Navarro: +34 649 143 674
Francisco Ferrer: +34 618 169 481
Puçol Map:
(iframe mapa puzol)
More information |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqw1ZL8iTH4&index=23&list=PLezQL5eJ_2dvm5aqCugWWQRpZs14T41EI
Train timetable to Puçol
