Save Cabanyal
El Cabanyal is threatened.
As architects, urban planners, city historians, artists and residents of the districts Ottensen and Altona-Altstadt (Hamburg,Germany) we have been fighting for years for the preservation of our historic districts.
In European solidarity we declare El Cabanyal as our common European Heritage, and we adopt its residents and houses.
A great part of this historic fisherman area ("barrio") of the Spanish city of Valencia is protected by law for his historic values. The former residents themselves have built their houses in the"popular modernisme" style.
"Gaudi" for the people, by the people.
However, the Mayorness of Valencia and her admistration is to construct a 50 meter wide dual carraigeway ("Avenida") through the "barrio" with the aim to obtain more real estate development . They have weakened the heritage law and feel free to continue to carry out expropriations and demolitons.
The residents have been fighting for almost 10 years against this plans and have managed to hold them back.
Due to increasing pressure from the council, the residents and their dwellings now need all the help they can get from international sources.
Please help us to help them.
We ask you to sign the declaracion above with your name, city, institution and/or occupation.
Please send it on to friends and email-lists.
Declaracion
Wir sind Cabanyal
Todos somos El Cabanyal
We are the Cabanyal
We call upon the Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá, and the President of the autonomy of Valencia, Francisco Camps, to respect the law protecting the houses of Cabanyal.
With the demolition of these houses of architectural and historical value the city of Valencia and our common European heritage would inflict a irreparable loss. An important part of our European identity is to be found in the model of our European cities.
El Cabanyal must not be demolished. It must be saved and renovated.