Valencia it is the third most important city in Spain and it boasts excellente fertile land, a mild climate and a lively night life. Valencia is also art and its numerous monuments, palaces, and church are a reflection of this. Fallas (the festival of San José in Valencia), horchata (cold drink made of tiger nuts), oranges, and paella are another symbols, of a rather playful nature, representative of this beautiful city.
The city on the shores of the Mediterranean in the centre of the gulf of the same name is two thousand years old. Today two branches of the River Turia hold ?t in their embrace as the centre of the fertile region of orchard lands. It used to be the capital of the former Kingdom of Valencia encircled by walls until the 19C and is the third largest city in today’s Spain.
The historic centre of the city lies around the Cathedral and includes La Almoina Square and the streets La Corregeria, Cabillers, Avellanas, Palau, Almirante, San Esteban, Conde de Olocau, Almudin, Cruilles,, Caballeros and Bany dels Pavesos, without forgetting the Roman forum which seems to have been where La Virgen Square is today.
Splendid symbols of the cultures gone by are: The Metropolitan Cathedral which was begun in 1262, preserves Gothic structures in La Puerta de los Apostoles (Entrance Gate of the A.), in the Chapter House of the Holy Chalice and in the Lantern, and Romanesque ones in La Puerta del Palau, while the main entrance and the presbytery are Baroque. The octagonal Gothic belfry of the cathedral is affectionately known as El Micalet (Little Michael). lt dates from the 14C-15C and is the landmark of the city. The Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Los Desamparados, with the 15C Gothic image of the patron saint of Valencia and its people.
Vault painting in fresco by Palomino. The regional government palace (Palau de la Generalitat) combines several styles.
Renaissance coffering with Arab traces. Assembly Hall (Salon de Cortes) with paintings by Zarinena. La Bayla Palace, 16C Gothic, seat of the provincial government, and La Scala Palace in the same style, but with Renaissance additions. Both are part of the building complex on Manises Square. The best preserved remains of Islamic Valencia are “Abd al-Malik’s Baths”, more widely known as Banos del Almirante (Admiral’s Baths). There are also some houses in Salinas St where traces of the Arab presence can still be found. In this area,fragments of the former wall can also be seen. In the course of this itinerary, one should stop at El Portal de Valldigna, visit the 14C Serranos Towers, the former entrance gates to the city and protected today as a historic site, the 15C Les Roques House, where the triumphal carriages of the Valencia Corpus processions are kept today, the 15C Royal Monastery of La Trinidad at the beginning of Alboraya St as well as the Bridges and Parapets along the old bed of the Turia, which were built between the 16C and 18C and some of which are of undeniable artistic value.
Since there is not enough room to list all that remains to be described of this city of light, which so often has been called the “cradle of art”, special attention should be given at least to the House where San Vicente Ferrer was born, which is almost a place of pilgrimage for the people of Valencia, and the Cruces de Termino, crosses indicating the boundaries of municipal land. Of Modernist architecture are the Bullring, Norte Station, Colon Market and the Central Market, one of the best in Europe.
