History

Thanks to its geographical location between the sea and the mountains, the origins of Puçol date back to the Roman era, when they settled in Trull del Moro. It was a small village, whose existence is known from the discovery of four gravestones in different streets of Puçol. At that time, the place was called Puteus, meaning "Well," due to the damp area and the abundance of water. The Valencian Academy of Language states that the word Puçol is of Latin origin, derived from putteoleum ("the well").

During the Muslim period, according to the chronicler Francisco Roca, the village began to be called Puigsol and gained considerable popularity due to its location between two major fortresses: Sagunto and El Puig.

In the 13th century, the town was conquered by James I. Over time, its name evolved to Pussol, and finally became Puçol, which is also the official name today by Decree of the Consell (Island Council) of 1979, supported by a report from Sanchis Guarner that confirms its scientific validity.

James I granted the town of Puçol to Assalid de Gudal, a knight in the king's army. In this way, Gudal became the first territorial lord of Puçol and its first political leader. Five years later, James I bought the Alquería (farmhouse) of Puçol from Gudal and gave it to Bishop Arnaldo de Peralta, his chapter, and the monastery of Roncesvalles, as payment for the tithe they had once lent him to finance his conquests. Thus, Puçol came under Christian control.

From the 15th century onwards, following the Black Death of the 14th century, the town experienced significant growth thanks to fruit exports.

The town's most important monuments, the Church of San Juan and the Archbishop's Palace, were built in the 17th century by the Archbishop of Valencia, Juan de Ribera, who also established one of the first botanical gardens in Spain, the first university garden, and the oldest in Europe. It is said that the peanut was first planted in Spain there.

In 1808, the Battle of Puçol took place during the Spanish War of Independence, a significant event that marked the town's struggle against the invasion of French troops from what is now Sagunto. A fierce battle was fought in the Hostalets area; to prevent the French from advancing towards Valencia, the irrigation ditches were opened, flooding the entire town.

In the 20th century, following the first democratic elections in 1979, won by the socialist Josep Vicent Cuello, the town underwent modernization, and the main infrastructure it enjoys today began to be built. These include the Municipal Sports Center, the House of Culture, the Sports Palace, the La Barraca Social Center, the Martínez Coll Social Center, and the Senior Citizens' Social Center.

In the 21st century, changes in government have been very frequent, not only with municipal elections every four years, but also with two motions of no confidence presented in 2004 and 2008. The mayoralty has alternated between Josep Mª Iborra (PSOE), Juan Manuel Busto (United Left), Mariano Sanchis (People's Party), José Vicente Martí (PSOE), Merche Sanchis (People's Party), and Enric Esteve (Compromís).

Among the new infrastructure, the transformation of the pebble beach into a modern sandy beach stands out. This beach is protected by five breakwaters that prevent sand from being washed ashore, and features a promenade that runs along more than 2 kilometers of coastline. All of this was inaugurated in the summer of 2004.

Furthermore, in 2014, the Camí La Mar, the access road from the town center to the beach, was restored, separating the road for cars from the Vereda Mangraners, a path for walking, cycling, or walking with pets to the beach.