Geography and hydraulic mediterranean heritage: With regards to historic valencian irrigation

Cultural heritage analysis from a geographical viewpoint is driven by the close link which exists between societies and their territories. This is because an inhabited space produces events and symbols which are translated directly onto the territory. Geography becomes a key discipline in the interpretation of space by means of patrimonial assets, given that the general population defines itself by, and seeks explanations of, the territory in which it lives. The relationship established between a community and the environment in which it lives explains the formation of its cultural areas. Geography is responsible for the morphological and functional analysis of these cultural areas, or landscapes: landscapes which are the product of relationships which individuals and groups establish with nature, and which integrate the cultural and natural heritage with which the community identifies. The marks and traces which societies leave on geographical spaces are numerous and varied. This has provided a variety of landscape settings determined by the key component. Among the various types of resulting «thematic» landscapes, those which are related to water excel in the Mediterranean territories. Water landscapes are those landscape systems in which water plays a vital role in its origin and architecture, in its dynamics, and in the social and cultural perceptions of the territory. The traditional Mediterranean irrigation systems – recognized through the landscape units of huertas, fertile plains and meadows – are spatial landscape units with undeniable heritage value. On occasion, this value contrasts with their current agricultural production functions, which are often questioned and devalued. The study of agriculture requires a multidisciplinary approach, given the multifunctional nature of this ancient activity. Traditionally agriculture has been studied, above all, as a productive activity – the generation of food and industrial raw materials. Meanwhile the methods employed to consider the significance and functions, have not developed. For decades, Boletín de la As ciación de Geógrafos Españoles N.o 66 2014, págs. 441-444