The cuco is a type of construction made with the

dry stone Dry stone, sometimes called drystack or, in Scotland, drystane, is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. A certain amount of binding is obtained through the use of carefully ...

technique, in

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

. Within the Valencian autonomous community (''Comunidad Valenciana'') they are located geographically in the regions of the valley of

Ayora Ayora () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Valle de Ayora in the Valencian Community, Spain. It lies in the inland part of the Valencian Community on the border of the provinces of Albacete and Alicante. The Valley of Ayora runs between t ...

–

Cofrentes Cofrentes (Valencian: Cofrents) is a town in the province of Valencia. There is a nuclear power plant A nuclear power plant (NPP), also known as a nuclear power station (NPS), nuclear generating station (NGS) or atomic power station (APS) ...

La Costera Costera (; ) is a ''comarca'' in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Municipalities * L'Alcúdia de Crespins * Barxeta * Canals * Cerdà * Estubeny * La Font de la Figuera * Genovés * La Granja de la Costera * Llanera de Ran ...

and La Canal de Navarrés. The latter concentrates the greatest number of these constructions, highlighting quantitatively the entire municipality of

Enguera Enguera is a municipality in southwestern province of Valencia, Spain. The local economy depends primarily on agriculture, and secondarily on industry and services. In recent years, agricultural crops, especially olives, have gained in importanc ...

. They use the raw materials found in their environment, rarely used manufactured materials. Two types of stone are used, the limestone that is used in the body of the construction, the one that holds the cover and the cover stone (tap: (es:) ''Margas muy calcáreas, de color claro, que en este ámbito geográfico se conocen con el nombre de "tap"'' (Very calcareous margas, of a light color, which in this geographical area are known as "tap") · (Darder, 1929, 603). white

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, Clay minerals, clays, and silt. When Lithification, hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. M ...

s), lighter, on the deck. Cubierta de un cuco

Typology

The typology of the constructions is very varied. Round-plan constructions predominate, although those of quadrangular plan are frequent. In occasion the ''cuco'' adapts to the relief of the land and adopts an irregular plan. The covering systems are all the same. A

false dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

is built by approaching courses. The covering of the access spans is made with large slabs as a lintel. Other typologies are documented as two slabs supported on both sides of the span, the approach of courses or the ''adovelado'' (with ''dovelas'') arch (built with irregular slabs arranged radially). Inside the ''cucos'' complementary structures are found: fireplace, cupboard, manger, etc. They are usually free buildings, although sometimes they are attached to the roadways (terraces); or they can have a quadrangular annex space.

Functionality

They are constructions destined to the refuge and temporary stays of the agriculturists. Its occupation used to be seasonal, coinciding with the moments of greater work in the agricultural parcels. Its use is different from that in other areas of the Valencian Community where it is linked to livestock.

References

Bibliography

* Darder Pericas, B. (1929): La estructura geológica de los Valles de Montesa y Enguera (Prov. de Valencia). En : Memorias de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural, T. XV (2); p. 603 - 610.
García Aparicio, M y Castellano Castillo, J. J. (1993): Plan de recuperación de las construcciones rurales en la sierra de Enguera. Un modelo de actuación. ''Zahora Nº 38'', pp. 223-254.
* Castellano Castillo, J. J. (2001): Los Cucos de la Sierra de Enguera. Ayuntamiento de Enguera; 130 págs. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cuco construction, Valencia Vernacular architecture Architecture in Spain Buildings and structures in the Valencian Community

Typology

Functionality

See also

References

Bibliography