Urban recreational parks to offset the flooding of rivers: La devesa of Girona-Catalonia-(19th century)

Abstract

In the 18th and 19th centuries, hydraulic works played an important role in economic development throughout Europe. There has been much research into the construction of dikes, canals and bridges to protect against, harness, and control the unbridled power of rivers; but there is still a lack of insight into how these functional, productive and social goals combined for purely cultural purposes. The hydraulic engineering work that is the Devesa urban park of Girona (located near the confluence of the Ter, Onyar and Güell rivers) is a magnificent example that fuses territorial engineering and urban architecture. Its design involves 18th and 19th century solutions to resolve the continuous flooding of the city of Girona, combining perfectly with its citizens’ social, cultural and recreational activities