HISTORY OF SEVILLE - ITS BRIDGES

During six hundred eighty and years, the boat bridge on the Guadalquivir was witness of the most important Sevillian historical events, with three basic times during centuries XII, XIII and Xvi-xvii. The opening of the boat bridge in 1171 developed the socioeconomía of Triana, the Aljarafe and the North Mountain range of the province. The bridge was one of the symbols of the period almohade and contemporary of the aqueduct of the Sewers of Carmona, the gardens of the Buhayra and the tower-Giralda of the new Mosque. Soon, during Seville Alfonsina (century XIII) and the Seville of the Empire (Xvi-xvii centuries), it returned to be witness of orto and decline of the city and its river.

The boat bridge on the Guadalquivir has been witness of almost seven centuries of history of Seville, six hundred eighty and years, from 1171 to 1852. A period of time very ample and well filled with basic historical events, beginning by the splendor of the Arab city of the empire almohade (1147-1248) and finishing with the isabelina city (1833-1868). Between both times, we entered six great historical blocks, all of them very rich in decisive facts for Seville and with influence in the set of the society, marking urbanism and the architecture, the demography, sociology, the economy, the culture, the religion and the policy. Within this great historical block (1147-1868), there are two times that marked the Sevillian Renaissance, projecting to the city towards the western world and elevating its influence and fame until never even limits before nor later. These two times of maximum splendor passed during the centuries XIII and Xvi-xviii. In first the Wise person was king Alfonso X (he reigned between 1252-1284) the main protagonist of orto Sevillian, and in second the decision of Kings Cato'licos was fundamental to grant to Seville the House of Hiring (1503), bases of his emporio until 1717, when the House was transferred to Cadiz by king Felipe V. So that the Sevillian privilege to become "port and door of the Indians" (Lope de Vega), granted by Kings Cato'licos in 1503, was maintained by all the monarchs of the House of Austria (1517-1700) and eliminated by the first king of the House of Borbón (1700-1746).

Finished the cycle of the boat bridge, after six hundred eighty and years, three new bridges were gotten up to the Guadalquivir: the one of Isabel II, vulgo of Triana; the one of the Seville-Huelva railroad, and the Ladder of the Water, in the site of Chapina with peatonal service. The city lived during century XIX new orto and sociopolítico decline, caused this one by Desastre of the 98 and their antecedents. The three new bridges, coincident with Federal Seville (1868-1898), impelled the economic development of the right margin of the Guadalquivir and were contemporary of the gas lighting system, the street cars of mules, the arrival of the electricity (1894) and the foundation of the Athenian (1887).

After six hundred eighty and years with the boat bridge as only firm system of communication between the two borders of the Guadalquivir (1171-1852), during second half of century XIX the city counted on three bridges. First, called of Isabel II and known popularly like Triana, it was inaugurated the 21 of February of 1852. The second bridge was called of Alfonso XII and had railway character to allow the transport service between Seville and Huelva, and was inaugurated the 15 of March of 1880. Finally, the Ladder of the Water, popularly well-known was gotten up to the city like of Chapina, with the double use of support of the pipes of peatonal step and water supply. It was inaugurated the 23 of April of 1898. Up to here, the initial datas that are extended in the corresponding technical chronicles that this book contributes next. We limited ourselves to recover the historical memory of the Seville of the 98, the decimonónico atmosphere of the city and his alfoz, really the circumstances of time and place that help to know the importance better than had the three bridges mentioned in the social and economic development of the large city and its surroundings. If the boat bridge were the impeller of the life of Triana, of alfoz to a large extent of the Aljarafe and the North Mountain range of the province, the one of Isabel II consolidated the socioeconomic system of all the right margin of the Guadalquivir, and the railroad bridge made the communications with the rest of the Southwest of Andalusia and the South of Portugal possible. On the other hand, the Ladder of Chapina ended the system of barges that the workers used preferredly who were daily going to also work to the factory of stoneware and ceramics of the Cartuja and to the numerous warehouses of trianeros olives, coming from the districts of the Macarena and the East of the city. The system of barges stayed until the 18 of August of 1931, when the bridge of San Telmo was inaugurated, between the zones of the Tower of Gold and the port of Shrimp fishers, subject of which we will take care in the next chapter. The bridge of Isabel II agrees with orto and the decline of a basic time of Seville, of social Renaissance, economic and cultural, after a long period of decay since in 1717 the House from Hiring to Cadiz was transferred during the reign of Felipe V, first Borbón monarch. But this time of Sevillian Renaissance, half-full initiate the Forties of century XIX, could not prosper as a result of the call sociopolíticos Disaster of the 98, and its antecedents, reason why the great arisen socioeconómicas initiatives in Seville Isabelina (1833-1868), were frustrated by causes other people's to the own capital and their province. To mentioned Seville Isabelina the Federal Seville happened (1868-1898), that did not contribute to no significant possibility to the development of the capital and province, not even to the maintenance of the obtained thing during the previous stage. Of this time we can recover the mercantile eagerness that made the Fair possible Be'tico-Extremeña, of agrarian general content and compatible sectors, celebrated in 1874 in the halls the Real Palaces; the cattle Fair of San Miguel, initiate in 1875; some improvements in laugh of the Guadalquivir and the incorporation of new Basque and Catalan industralists in the sectors industrial and commercial. The same circumstances of Sevillian Renaissance and later frustration for reasons other people's to the city, motivated by negative national causes, returned to take place during first half of century XX, as we have opportunity to comment in the next chapter. In effect, the citizen Renaissance impelled by the regeneracionistas eagerness (1898), led by Joaquin Costa and Francisco Cambo '; the foundation of the Athenian (1887), by a group of university professors and liberal professionals; and the long gestation of the Latin American Exhibition (1909-1929), plus the benefits granted by the Dictatorship of Cousin of Creek, as maximum exponents of a new and hopeful time for Seville, stayed truncated by causes of the fall of the alfonsina Monarchy, II the Republic, the Civil War of Spain and the later one and releases postwar period.

The third chapter of the history of the bridges of Seville includes the first means century XX almost, between the bridges of Alfonso XIII (1926) and of the Seville-Huelva railroad (1943). Other three new bridges (of San Telmo, San Juan de Aznalfarache and the Sponsorship), completed the improvements of the communications between both borders of the Guadalquivir. In this period and in the occasion of the long gestation of the Latin American Exhibition (1909-1929), a new Sevillian Renaissance arose, that was key for the modernization of the city and promotion of the cultural one. Unfortunately, external causes returned to frustrate the best opportunity to recover the national and historical place that corresponded to Seville.

We entered the equator of the file of the bridges of Seville, the chapter third that includes from 1900 to the half century. To the three bridges constructed during second half of century XIX, five between 1926 and 1943 were united. So that this period had positive importance in the communications between both borders of the Guadalquivir, as much in the historical channel as in the new one of the Fertile valley of Triana. In addition to the five bridges, the short one was gotten up to the city of Alfonso XIII, vulgo of Tablada, that was one of the most decisive improvements of the river navigation and contributed in addition ample harbor and industrial zones. The technical chronicle that follows this introduction informs with amplitude into the antecedents and constructions of the bridges of Alfonso XIII (1926), of San Telmo (1931), of San Juan de Aznalfarache (1933), of the Sponsorship (1940), and of the Seville-Huelva railroad in the Fertile valley of Triana (1943).

During first half of century XX five bridges were constructed, between 1926 and 1943. Of these five bridges, the three first, those of Alfonso XIII (1926), San Telmo (1931) and San Juan de Aznalfarache (1933), were projected and made by the Ministry of Public Works and the Economy of the Dictatorship of Cousin of Creek, directed by the count of Guadalhorce, although both last they were finished and they inaugurated in the first times of the republican Regime. Soon, shortly after finished the Civil War of Spain, other two bridges also projected were made by the new Regime of general Franco in times previous to II the Republic, but pending to make by diverse causes. These bridges were the one of the Sponsorship (1940) and the one of the Seville-Huelva railroad (1943), both on the new channel of the Fertile valley of Triana and including in Work the General Plan of Thin Brackembury (1927). Later a long period of inactivity in the matter of bridges took place on the Guadalquivir, in spite of the increase of the necessities of communication between both borders by effects of the urban expansion of Triana and the towns of the Aljarafe, mainly in alfoz near, turned "city dormitory" by the enormous shortage of social houses in the capital. So that between 1943 and 1968, new bridges were not constructed. Year in the last mentioned the New call or of the Generalissimo, constructed between the zones near the park of Maria the Tobacco Luisa was inaugurated and Factory. And soon another long stage without new bridges took place until 1981 (of King Juan Carlos I), this one in the new channel of the Fertile valley of Triana. Also in this time a twin metal bridge to the one of the Sponsorship was added, in 1971, as a result of the deployment of the accesses of the highway of Huelva, partly already turned railcar from the sector of the Pañoleta. So, valuing like antecedent the stage between 1943-1968, and like first part the passed one between 1968-1981 (bridges of the Generalissimo and Juan Carlos I), the second part of this fourth period corresponds to years 1981-1989. Nevertheless, we must emphasize that the three bridges incorporated in this second stage were all inaugurated in 1981-1982. We talked about, like they will be able to also know in the technical chronicles that follow our introduction, the bridges on the Seville-Huelva-Extremadura highway and of the Seville-Huelva railroad, and the aqueduct of Emasesa, the three on the new channel of the Short one of the Cartuja.

desde 1171 hasta 1992, en Sevilla se han construido once puentes sobre el cauce histórico del Guadalquivir; siete, sobre los cauces nuevos de las cortas de la Vega de Triana y de la Cartuja; tres acueductos, uno de ellos con pasarela peatonal; y cuatro para tráfico ferroviario. En total, veinticinco puentes en un período de ochocientos veintidós años. De los veinticinco puentes citados, han desaparecido siete: de barcas (1171-1852), de Alfonso XII (1880-1959), de Chapina (1898-1959), del Patrocinio (dos) (1940-1971-1991), del ferrocarril (1943-1991) y de Alfonso XIII (1926-1998), este último pendiente de reinstalar en el cauce histórico en zona cercana a San Jerónimo. Y quedan dieciocho en servicio: de Isabel II (Triana)(1852), de San Telmo (1931), de San Juan de Aznalfarache (1933), del Generalísimo (1968), del Rey Juan Carlos I (1981), de la carretera Sevilla-Huelva-Extremadura (Patrocinio) (1982), del ferrocarril Sevilla-Huelva (1982), dos acueductos de Emasesa (1982), de la Barqueta (1989), de la Cartuja (1991), del ferrocarril Sevilla-Huelva (1991), de la Reina Sofía (1991), del Cristo de la Expiración (1991), de Las Delicias (doble para el ferrocarril del puerto)(1991), del V Centenario (1991), del Alamillo (1992) y de San Lázaro (Itálica)(1992). Siguiendo el calendario de construcción de cada grupo de puentes, puede comprobarse la trascendencia que para Sevilla y su sistema de comunicaciones urbanas y metropolitanas, ha tenido la Exposición Universal de 1992. Un digno colofón a ochocientos veintidós años de historia de los puentes sobre el río Guadalquivir (1171-1992).