The Municipal Archive brings a display with eight panels to educational centres that reviews the century and a half since Alfonso XII granted the title of City.
On August 8, 1876, King Alfonso XII granted Alzira the title of City. One hundred and fifty years later, the municipality wants to turn this anniversary into an opportunity to rediscover its own history. With this aim, the Municipal Archive has launched the initiative "Alzira 1876-2026: 150 years building a city," which will take the story of these transformations directly to the classrooms.
The main activity is a travelling exhibition of eight panels that will tour all the educational centres in the locality during the 2026-2027 academic year. The purpose is to bring the significant changes that Alzira has experienced during this period closer to the younger generation and to spark their interest in local history. "For us, it is very important to disseminate this type of anniversary because Alzira is a great city and a great town," said the councillor for Historical Heritage and Archive, Xavi Pérez.
The exhibition starts from an idea that the panels emphasise from the very beginning: Alzira was already a city long before it received the title. When Alfonso XII granted it, he merely put the official stamp on a reality that had been built over centuries. Since the conquest by Jaime I in 1242, the locality was one of the main royal towns of Valencia, favoured by its strategic location next to the Júcar River and halfway between Valencia and Játiva.
From 1876 onwards, the panels unfold the major transformations of contemporary Alzira, divided by themes. There is space for the expansion of orange cultivation, which turned the city into a major export centre and changed its economy; for the evolution of healthcare and public services, from the epidemics of the 19th century to the Hospital de la Ribera; for changes in municipal government, reflecting the political journey of the country from the Restoration to democracy; and also for everyday life, demographic transformations, cultural development, and urban growth always marked by Alzira's relationship with the Júcar, a source of prosperity but also of floods.
All of this is presented through original documents from the Municipal Archive, historical photographs, posters, maps, and heritage objects. Each panel also includes a QR code with an audio explanation of the contents, making the visit accessible to both students and the general public.
The exhibition will remain for about two weeks at each educational centre and until September on the second floor of the Town Hall. In the words of the mayor, Alfons Domínguez: "The Archive reaffirms its commitment to the conservation and dissemination of Alzira's documentary heritage, and turns the anniversary into what it aims to be: an opportunity for the entire city — and especially the new generations — to rediscover its recent history and rethink what role it wants to play, as the capital of the Ribera, in the coming years."
The project does not end here. Throughout 2027, the Municipal Archive will hold a commemorative conference, and the programming for the 150th anniversary will be completed with new activities from other municipal departments. One of these is the guided tour organised by the Tourism department that will take place on the same day, August 8. The route will cover several points in the city to discover some of the most important episodes in its history, starting at 8:00 PM in the 30 de diciembre square.
Prior registration is mandatory and can be done at the Tourist Info Alzira (plaza del Reino), by calling 96 241 95 51 or by sending an email to turisme@alzira.es.
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