200 Anniversary of the Engineering School of Civil Engineering and Port

It commemorates the second anniversary of the founding of the Engineering School of Civil Engineering and Port to issue a souvenir sheet and an independent label. The momentum of public works took on Spain in the early nineteenth century necessitated the creation of the School of Civil Engineering, opened in 1802. The promoter of the idea was Agustin de Betancourt, who is considered father of civil engineering in our country. Born in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) in 1758. Of good education and with a great capacity for science and mechanical arts, he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, where he acquired a solid knowledge of mathematics, physics and drawing. For his great skill, was entrusted with studying the operation of the mercury mines of Almaden and won a scholarship to study mining engineering in Paris. Their work covers many different areas of science, such as "fire bomb" or steam engine double acting, hydraulic, electrical and optical telegraphy. He performed in major public works of the era and its ideas, outlined in a document of 1803 the Minister of State under the title News about the state of roads and waterways of Spain, became the program of actions for the coming years. In 1807 he left Spain and after passing through Paris was established in St. Petersburg (Russia), where he died in 1824.

Studies of Civil Engineers began in 1802 in the palace of the Buen Retiro (Madrid). In the first group left five students. After several interruptions, in 1834 the school finally opened under the direction of José Agustín de Larramendi. He stepped down Juan Suberco, who expanded and improved the curriculum and raising the scientific level of the station at the height of the most prestigious of the time. In the souvenir sheet, consisting of three stamps, reproduce Tui International Bridge, which links to Valença do Minho (Portugal), Strait Dam Bridge (Lorca) and the Port of Musel (Gijón). In the vignette is a picture of Agustín de Betancourt.

Stamp Issue: 2003-03-21