Manuel del Valle Arévalo (10 November 1939 – 26 March 2020) was a Spanish lawyer, politician, and member of the
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources:
*
*
*
* political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gove ...
(PSOE) who served as Mayor of
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
from 24 May 1983 until 30 June 1991. Del Valle is credited with redesigning and transforming Seville's modern urban infrastructure in preparation for the
Seville Expo '92
The Seville Expo '92 was a universal exposition that took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992, on La Isla de La Cartuja (Charterhouse Island), Seville, Spain. The theme for the expo was "The Age of Discovery", celebrating the ...
.
His major achievements included the construction of the
and a new railway layout within the city, the ring road and other new highways, and a series of new bridges, including the landmark
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculp ...
-designed
Alamillo Bridge
The Alamillo Bridge ( es, Puente del Alamillo) is a structure in Seville, Andalucia (Spain), which spans the Canal de Alfonso XIII, allowing access to La Cartuja, a peninsula located between the canal and the Guadalquivir River. The bridge was co ...
.
The Spanish newspaper, ''ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
'', called Manuel del Valle's infrastructure developments "the greatest transformation of the city since the times of as mayor in the 19th century," when that mayor demolished portions of the Walls of Seville
The Walls of Seville (Spanish: ''Murallas de Sevilla'') are a series of defensive walls surrounding the Old Town of Seville. The city has been surrounded by walls since the Roman period, and they were maintained and modified throughout the subse ...
.[
]
Biography
Manuel del Valle was born in Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
on 10 November 1939.[ He earned his law degree from the ]University of Seville
The University of Seville (''Universidad de Sevilla'') is a university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of ''Colegio Santa María de Jesús'' in 1505, it has a present student body of over 69.200, and is one of the top-ranked universi ...
and became an attorney specializing in labor law
Labour laws (also known as labor laws or employment laws) are those that mediate the relationship between workers, employing entities, trade unions, and the government. Collective labour law relates to the tripartite relationship between employee, ...
.[
Del Valle joined the fledgling ]Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources:
*
*
*
* political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gove ...
(PSOE) during the early 1970s. He was close friends and associates of several prominent, future PSOE leaders during his early life and career, including Felipe González
Felipe González Márquez (; born 5 March 1942) is a Spanish lawyer, professor, and politician, who was the Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) from 1974 to 1997, and the 3rd Prime Minister of Spain since the ...
(the future PSOE Prime Minister of Spain
The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government ( es, link=no, Presidente del Gobierno), is the head of government of Spain. The office was established in its current form by the Constitution of Spain, Constitution of 1978 a ...
), Alfonso Guerra, and Manuel Chaves. In 1974, Manuel del Valle and a group of young PSOE allies, including Felipe González, won the party's leadership elections, which were held in Suresnes
Suresnes () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. Located in Hauts-de-Seine, from the centre of Paris, it had a population of 49,145 as of 2016. The nearest communes are Nanterre, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud a ...
, France, as the Franco dictatorship
Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
was still in power.[
From 1979 until 1983, Manuel del Valle served as the first democratically elected President of the (''Diputación Provincial de Sevilla''), which governs the Province of Seville and its municipalities.][ He also served in the national Senate of Spain, representing Seville as a member of the ]PSOE
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources:
*
*
*
* political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gov ...
, from 1979 to 1982.[
]
Mayor of Seville
Prime Minister Felipe González
Felipe González Márquez (; born 5 March 1942) is a Spanish lawyer, professor, and politician, who was the Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) from 1974 to 1997, and the 3rd Prime Minister of Spain since the ...
and the PSOE swept to power in the 1982 Spanish general election. However, despite the win, Manuel del Valle decided to leave the national Senate and focus on his political career in his home city of Seville.[ In 1983, Manuel del Valle led the PSOE candidates to an absolute majority on the Seville City Council.][ Del Valle and the PSOE ousted incumbent Seville Mayor Luis Uruñuela of the ]Andalusian Party
The Andalusian Party ( es, Partido Andalucista, PA) was an Andalusian nationalist centre-left political party from Andalusia (Spain), with an important presence in provinces such as Cádiz and Seville although in the past they have stood in ot ...
.[ With a PSOE majority in city council, Manuel del Valle was sworn into his first term as mayor on 24 May 1983. He won re-election in June 1987 with a smaller PSOE simple majority in the city council.][
During the 1980s, it was announced that Seville would host the forthcoming ]Seville Expo '92
The Seville Expo '92 was a universal exposition that took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992, on La Isla de La Cartuja (Charterhouse Island), Seville, Spain. The theme for the expo was "The Age of Discovery", celebrating the ...
, to be held in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
reaching the Americas. To host such a large event, Seville needed to upgrade or construct an entirely new urban infrastructure.[ In response, Mayor del Valle launched the 1987 Plan General de Ordenación Urbana (''General Urban Planning Plan''), or PGOU, a type of ]urban plan
Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
, to modernize and re-draw the city's rail and road infrastructure.[ Del Valle's new plan replaced an older, outdated PGOU dating from 1964.][
Del Valle's 1987 urban plan called for rebuilding of Seville's entire train and road systems.][ The city's railway system was expanded and completely re-built to add new lines and stations.][ Seville's new main train station, , was planned and constructed under Mayor del Valle.][ Seville-Santa Justa opened in 1991, just before the 1992 launch of the ]Madrid–Seville high-speed rail line
The Madrid–Sevilla high-speed line (NAFA or ''Nuevo Acceso Ferroviario a Andalucía'') is a Spanish railway line for high-speed traffic between Madrid and Seville. The first Spanish high-speed rail connection has been in use since 21 April 19 ...
. Old train tracks were removed from the along the river and rerouted to Chapina, which opened the Guadalquivir riverfront
A riverfront is a region along a river. Often in larger cities that are traversed or bordered by one or more rivers, the riverfront is lined with marinas, docks, cafes, museums, parks, or minor attractions. Today many riverfronts are a staple of ...
to development.[
]
Del Valle also built the new ring road, first as a two-lane road before its expansion to three-lanes, around Seville to re-route traffic flow.[
He also spearheaded a series of brand new bridges over the ]Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir (, also , , ) is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest river with its entire length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from the Gul ...
during his administration.[ New major bridges opened under del Valle's PGOU plan included the ]Alamillo Bridge
The Alamillo Bridge ( es, Puente del Alamillo) is a structure in Seville, Andalucia (Spain), which spans the Canal de Alfonso XIII, allowing access to La Cartuja, a peninsula located between the canal and the Guadalquivir River. The bridge was co ...
, the Puente de la Barqueta
The Puente de la Barqueta (literally "bridge of the barges", in reference to the formerly present "''Barqueta'' Gate"), officially named ''Puente Mapfre'', is a bridge in the city of Seville (Andalusia, Spain), which spans the Alfonso XII channel ...
and the Centenario Bridge
The Centenario Bridge (Spanish: ''Puente del Centenario'') is a cable-stayed bridge in Seville, Spain. It crosses over the left branch of Guadalquivir.
History and description
Programmed as part of the infrastructures for the Expo '92, buildin ...
, which were built between 1989 and 1992. Other bridges added by Mayor del Valle include the (opened in 1990) and the (opened in 1991).[
Despite his achievements and successful transformation of Seville's urban landscape in preparation for the ]Seville Expo '92
The Seville Expo '92 was a universal exposition that took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992, on La Isla de La Cartuja (Charterhouse Island), Seville, Spain. The theme for the expo was "The Age of Discovery", celebrating the ...
, Mayor del Valle's political party, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources:
*
*
*
* political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gove ...
(PSOE), decided not to renominate him for re-election in the 1991 Seville City Council elections.[ His re-election as mayor was opposed and rejected at the behest of Alfonso Guerra, a major PSOE figure at the time.][ The loss of the renomination meant that Manuel del Valle, who had spent years redesigning Seville's urban landscape and infrastructure, would not open Seville Expo '92 as the city's sitting mayor, which was a major personal and professional disappointment.][
Instead of renominating del Valle for another term as mayor, the PSOE chose Luis Yáñez to lead the PSOE ticket as del Valle's potential successor.][ However, the move backfired and Yáñez and the PSOE lost the 1991 municipal election, which was won by Alejandro Rojas-Marcos of the ]Andalusian Party
The Andalusian Party ( es, Partido Andalucista, PA) was an Andalusian nationalist centre-left political party from Andalusia (Spain), with an important presence in provinces such as Cádiz and Seville although in the past they have stood in ot ...
(PA).[ Manuel del Valle left office on 30 June 1991, more than a year before the opening of the Seville Expo '92.][ As for the PSOE, the party did not regain the mayor's office until Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín was elected in 1999.][
Many of the urban planning projects begun by del Valle continued to open in the months after he left office in time for Seville Expo '92. In 1992, the new ]Madrid–Seville high-speed rail line
The Madrid–Sevilla high-speed line (NAFA or ''Nuevo Acceso Ferroviario a Andalucía'') is a Spanish railway line for high-speed traffic between Madrid and Seville. The first Spanish high-speed rail connection has been in use since 21 April 19 ...
, connecting Madrid to Seville's new (opened in 1991) began operations. Seville's major new bridges, Alamillo Bridge
The Alamillo Bridge ( es, Puente del Alamillo) is a structure in Seville, Andalucia (Spain), which spans the Canal de Alfonso XIII, allowing access to La Cartuja, a peninsula located between the canal and the Guadalquivir River. The bridge was co ...
and the Puente de la Barqueta
The Puente de la Barqueta (literally "bridge of the barges", in reference to the formerly present "''Barqueta'' Gate"), officially named ''Puente Mapfre'', is a bridge in the city of Seville (Andalusia, Spain), which spans the Alfonso XII channel ...
, begun under Mayor del Valle in 1989, opened in 1992 in the run-up to the Expo.
Later life and career
Del Valle remained active in a variety of civic, historical, and urban affairs organizations after leaving office. He chaired the El Monte Foundation and served as a member of the board of trustees for the Alcázar of Seville, the city's royal palace.[ He also acted as co-president of the Civic Union of Southern Spain (''Unión Cívica del Sur de España''), or Civisur, an organization which seeks stronger business and political ties between Seville and Málaga.][ In September 2019, Seville Mayor Juan Espadas appointed Del Valle as the Mayor of the Alcázar, a position he held until his death in March 2020.][
Manuel del Valle remained a loyal member of the PSOE, though he also became a critic of the party's leadership in recent years. In December 2019 interview, del Valle criticized Spanish Prime Minister ]Pedro Sánchez
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has been Prime Minister of Spain since June 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since June 2017, having pr ...
and other current PSOE leaders, saying "they are going to destroy the party, although, I believe that it is already destroyed."[
Del Valle began chemotherapy for ]leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
at the Virgen del Rocío Hospital in October 2019.[ He died from the disease at his Plaza Alfonso de Cossío home in the neighborhood of Seville on 26 March 2020, at the age of 81.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valle, Manuel del
1939 births
2020 deaths
Mayors of Seville
Provincial Deputation Presidents of Spain
Seville city councillors
Members of the Senate of Spain
Members of the 1st Senate of Spain
Politicians from Andalusia
University of Seville alumni
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party politicians
Politicians from Seville
Lawyers from Seville
20th-century Spanish lawyers