Our heritage
of our past and a part of our present.
The stones here speak, because they are a part
of our past and a part of our present.
Beniarbeig
Riu Girona i pont
The River Girona is located between the mountain ranges of Segària and Seguili. It originates in Alcalà de La Jovada at an altitude of 630 metres above sea level and is gradually formed with the water contributions of several ravines and springs. It has a basin of 118 km² that flows into the delta of L’Almadrava, in the area known as Les Marines de Dénia, after travelling for somewhere between 35 and 40 kilometres. The route of the river runs through the municipalities of La Vall d'Ebo, La Vall de Laguar, Orba, Benidoleig, Tormos, Sagra, El Ràfol d'Almúnia, Benimeli, Sanet i Els Negrals, Beniarbeig, Ondara and El Verger.
The River Girona runs through maquis, blackthorn and kermes oak, abundant in the upper course, and fennel in the middle part; natural vegetation altered by anthropic agricultural activity, which introduced orange groves. As the river reaches the coast, brambles, reedbeds, tamarinds and Nerium appear, which bloom spectacularly all year round.
In the lower area, it carries more water than in the head due to underground water seepage, a process favoured by the calcareous terrain. The Girona River mostly flows through semi-humid areas, receiving considerable water inputs, but the continuous water loss gives it a dry appearance. In the lower area, the river starts to fill up again, considerably increasing the flow up to the delta.
The River Girona is a typical course of the Mediterranean environment, which means that it is subject to extraordinary precipitation phenomena, frequent in this type of climate, combined with dry periods. However, it is a river fed by numerous sources, such as La Bolata, which ensures an irregular but minimal flow for most of the year.
The bridge known as El Pont de Beniarbeig connects the two parts of the Beniarbeig municipality, one on each side of the River Girona. Before the 2007 flood, it was a classic stone bridge.
The old construction must have been part of the newly executed road projects associated with the royal road or second-order road along the coast that would later be registered as the national road N-332. The design of this road seems to be the work of engineer Agustín Elcoro Berecibar, according to the first documents of 1844, although it was modified over the years by Justo González Molado, among other engineers. Even though there is no precise data regarding the Beniarbeig bridge, it must be assumed from the materials, type of work and impact that the original construction could be dated to a period close to the completion of the road, which was more or less between 1880 and 1890, during the regency of Maria Cristina, when there was quite a boom in the construction of roads and bridges throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
Contrary to what happened with other bridges in the area, where saving on costs predominated, meaning that they were built with brick vaults and masonry in supporting walls, tympanums and parapets, in the case of the Beniarbeig bridge, the vaults have well-cut limestone voussoirs. Currently, part of the old bridge is located in the river park as a form of historical memory. The new Meridià 0 bridge is much more modern and is supported by a suspended braces structure.
Beniarbeig
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