The UMU presents this Thursday at the Regional Film Library ‘The Hidden Legacy of the Aljufía’, a “didactic and rigorous” documentary about the influence of the river on the development of Murcia and its key role for the future
Under the premise of scientific rigor and the dissemination of knowledge, the University of Murcia (UMU) produced and presented the documentary ‘The Hidden Legacy of Aljufía’ this Thursday at 7 pm at the Regional Film Library of Murcia. A journey into the future of the city of Murcia starting from its foundation (825 AD) and revealing the symbiotic relationship its development has had with water, first the Segura River and later the network of traditional irrigation. A reality that has marked and conditioned her urban planning, UMU professor Rosa María Hervás explains and continues to condition the documentary’s original idea, scientific direction and coordination.
“We had the collaboration of the civil engineer Emilio Estrella, who explained to us the bidirectional relationship of the river with the city and its beneficial effect, because of the resources it provided, and the punishing effect, because of the floods and floods it caused “, Hervas account. In fact, wherever there was access to water, the teacher explains, “important institutions were established, such as the Royal Saltpeter Factory, the Monastery of Las Agustinas, the Silk Factory, the Monastery of the Dominicans, the Palace of Santa Clara la Real (about the ancient Alcázar Menor), determining the location of the important buildings, the power of water and pointing out the power of those who had more direct access to it».
With the participation of the young and enthusiastic team of the Multimedia Support Service of the Information Technologies and Applied Communications Area (Atica), coordinated by Erica López, the archaeologists Luis García and Consuelo Martínez, and the Landowners Board of Murcia, with Benito Abellán and his son José as guide, the UMU team has traveled the layout of the main channel of Aljufía (which irrigates the estates in the north, on the left bank of the Segura) in the open air, since its source in La Contraparada to the site of La Isla (where it hides), and under the tarred city, from that point and under the highway to Puerta Nueva street, at the Nelva divide, where it becomes Benetúcer.
“It was a unique opportunity and a way to improve ourselves professionally,” says Erica López, recognizing that the pandemic, which left them in the middle of shooting, has allowed them to achieve a better result. «We have developed a lot of educational material, so much so that of course we have not been able to use it all in the documentary: 3D surveys of the most important historical buildings and the city at different times, illustrations, animations, explanatory sheets, the recreation of the circulatory system from the residual waters of the Arrabal de La Arrixaca, …”, detailing the one hour and ten minute film work they have made with the aim of being a “highly educational and engaging product for all, but especially for most young people” , says Hervas.
As soon as it is presented today, the UMU will put the documentary on its server for public consultation and in addition they plan to distribute it in schools, institutes and faculties in the region, providing them with additional didactic material to demonstrate the importance of the system. traditional irrigation and the value of hydroponics; and the archaeological treasures that the underground and urban part of Aljufía hides, such as the Castilla Bridge built by Toribio Martínez de la Vega in the 18th century or the plinth of the Salitre factory, which used the water from the ditch as a driving force, or the last Andalusian orchard still irrigated with water from the Aljufía, that of the Monastery of Las Anas, in the heart of Murcia, the authors of ‘The Hidden Legacy of the Aljufía’ stand out.
The UMU production also emphasizes the role of the open-air irrigation network and the respect with which the ecosystems created around water deserve to be treated, “especially in times of climate change, as places of environmental improvement”. And they cite great discoveries during the shooting of the forest on the river of the Santa Cruz irrigation canal, the area of the Casa Grande partition, which they shot “before and after it was modified”, and the shots that will help the flow to understand the living water – with which it is irrigated – and dead water – the remains of irrigation – to understand Murcia’s use of water, “which we can be proud of”, they say. And they announce that the documentary will be part of the UMU ODSesiones project related to Objective 6.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
