All Topics  
Valencia (city in Spain)

 
Valencia (city in Spain)

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Valencia (city in Spain)



 
 
Valencia is the capital of the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia and its province
Valencia (province)

Valencia is a provinces of Spain of Spain, in the central part of the Valencian Community.It is bordered by the provinces of Alicante , Albacete , Cuenca , Teruel , Castell?n , and the Mediterranean Sea....
. It is the third largest city in Spain and the 21st largest in the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
. It forms part of an industrial area on the Costa del Azahar
Costa del Azahar

Costa del Azahar or Costa dels Tarongers is the name for the coast of the provinces Castell?n and Valencia in Spain, from Alcanar to El Verger, Denia....
.

The estimated population of the city of Valencia proper was 810,064 as of 2008 official statistics. The population of the metropolitan area
Metropolitan area

A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central city and their zone of influence....
 was 1,583,331 (865 km²). Including the satellite urban area of Sagunto
Sagunto

Sagunto , formerly Murviedro , is an ancient city in Eastern Spain, in the modern fertile district of Camp de Morvedre in the Valencia . It is located in a hilly site, c....
, the total population of the extended region was 1,705,742 (1,161 km²).






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Valencia (city in Spain)'
Start a new discussion about 'Valencia (city in Spain)'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Valencia is the capital of the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia and its province
Valencia (province)

Valencia is a provinces of Spain of Spain, in the central part of the Valencian Community.It is bordered by the provinces of Alicante , Albacete , Cuenca , Teruel , Castell?n , and the Mediterranean Sea....
. It is the third largest city in Spain and the 21st largest in the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
. It forms part of an industrial area on the Costa del Azahar
Costa del Azahar

Costa del Azahar or Costa dels Tarongers is the name for the coast of the provinces Castell?n and Valencia in Spain, from Alcanar to El Verger, Denia....
.

The estimated population of the city of Valencia proper was 810,064 as of 2008 official statistics. The population of the metropolitan area
Metropolitan area

A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central city and their zone of influence....
 was 1,583,331 (865 km²). Including the satellite urban area of Sagunto
Sagunto

Sagunto , formerly Murviedro , is an ancient city in Eastern Spain, in the modern fertile district of Camp de Morvedre in the Valencia . It is located in a hilly site, c....
, the total population of the extended region was 1,705,742 (1,161 km²). As of 2007, the mayor of Valencia is Rita Barberá Nolla
Rita Barberá Nolla

Rita Barber? Nolla is the mayor of Valencia, Spain from 1991. Member of the National Council of the People's Party of Spain and Representant in the Valencian regional Parliament ....
.

Name

The original Latin name of the city was (/wa'lentia/), meaning "strength", "valour", the city being named for the roman practice of recognizing the valour of former Roman soldiers after a war. The Roman historian Titus Livius (Livy) explains that the foundation of Valentia in the 2nd century BC was due to the settling of the Roman soldiers who fought against Iberian local rebel Viriatus.

During the rule of the Muslim Empires in Spain, it was known as Balansiya) in Arabic
Arabic language

Arabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages languages such as Hebrew language and Aramaic language....
.

By regular sound changes this has become Valencia (/ba'len?ja/) in Spanish
Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
  and València (/va'??nsia/) in Valencian. The Valencian pronunciation in the local dialect is /ba'?ensia/.

History

The city of Valencia, is in the region known in ancient days as Edetania. The Roman historian Florus
Florus

Florus, Roman Empire historian, lived in the time of Trajan and Hadrian.He compiled, chiefly from Livy, a brief sketch of the history of Rome from the foundation of the city to the closing of the temple of Janus by Augustus Caesar ....
 says that Junius Brutus, transferred there (140 BC) the soldiers who had fought under him. Later it was a Roman military colony. In punishment for its adherence to Sertorius it was destroyed by Pompey
Pompey

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'p?mpi/, Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir , was a distinguished military and political leader of the late Roman Republic....
, but was later rebuilt, and Pomponius Mela
Pomponius Mela

Pomponius Mela, who wrote around 43, was the earliest Roman Empire geographer.His little work is a mere compendium, occupying less than one hundred pages of ordinary print, dry in style and deficient in method, but of pure Latinity, and occasionally relieved by pleasing word-pictures....
 says that it was one of the principal cities of Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis

Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the Mediterranean coast of Spain along with the central plateau and the north coast, and part of northern Portugal....
 province. The city was founded by the Romans
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
 in 137 BC on the site of a former Iberian
Iberians

The Iberians were a set of peoples that Ancient Greece and ancient Rome sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC....
 town, by the river Turia
Turia River

The River Turia is a Spanish river whose source is in the Teruel . It runs through the Valencia province and discharges into the Mediterranean sea near the Valencia, Spain....
.

The city has been occupied by the Visigoths, Moors
Moors

In the Spanish language, the term for Moors is Moro; in Portuguese language the word is mouro. There seems to have been some confusion about the relationship of the word moro/mouro to the word moreno , both from Greek language ma?ros, i.e....
, and the Aragonese
Crown of Aragon

The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon.At the height of its power by the 14th and 15th centuries, the Crown of Aragon was a thalassocracy controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain, Northern Catalonia, as well as some of the major islands and mainland...
.

The Moors occupied the territory peacefully in 714 A.D. When Islamic culture settled in, Valencia – then Balansiya – prospered thanks to a booming trade in paper, silk, leather, ceramics, glass and silver-work. The architectural legacy from this period is abundant in Valencia and can still be appreciated today in the remains of the old walls, the Baños del Almirante bath house, Portal de Valldigna street and even the Cathedral and the tower, El Micalet, which was the minaret of the old mosque.

After the death of Almanzor
Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir

Abu Aamir Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abi Aamir, Al-Hajib Al-Mansur ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? was the de facto ruler of Muslim Al Andalus in the late 10th to early 11th centuries....
 and the unrest that followed 'the Cid'
El Cid

Rodrigo D?az de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador, was a Kingdom of Castile nobleman, a gifted military leader and diplomat who, after being exiled, conquered and governed the city of Valencia ....
 conquered Valencia for the short period of 15 June 1094 – July 1099. He turned nine mosques into churches, and installed the French monk Jérôme as bishop (this victory was immortalised in the Lay of the Cid). On the death of the Cid (July 1099), his wife, Doña Ximena, retained power for two years, when Valencia was besieged by the Almoravids, and the city returned to the Almoravids
Almoravids

The Almoravids were a Berbers dynasty from the Sahara that spread over a wide area of North Africa and the Iberian peninsula during the 11th century....
 in 1102. Although the 'Emperor of Spain' Alfonso drove them from the city, he was not strong enough to hold it. The Christians set fire to it, abandoned it, and the Almoravid Masdali took possession of it on 5 May 1109. The event was commemorated in a poem by Ibn Khafaja
Ibn Khafaja

Ibn Khafaja or Abu Ishaq Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Abu Al-Fath Ibn Khafajah of Alzira, Valencia was one of the most famous poets of Al-Andalus during the reign of the Almoravids....
 in which he thanked Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusuf ibn Tashfin

Yusuf ibn Tashfin or Tashafin was an ethnic Berber people and Almoravid dynasty ruler in North Africa and Al-Andalus ....
 for the liberation of the city. The Almoravid and the Almohad dynasty would rule Valencia for more than a century. In 1238 King James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon

File:Jaume I Palma.jpgJames I the Conqueror was the Kings of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276. His long reign saw the expansion of the Crown of Aragon to the south and into and across the Mediterranean as far as Naples: into Kingdom of Valencia to the south and the Balearic Islands, Sicily and the Kingd...
 the Conqueror, with an army composed of French, English, Germans, and Italians, laid siege to Valencia, and on 28 September in that same year forced a surrender. 50,000 Moors were forced to leave. Poets like Ibn al-Abbar
Ibn al-Abbar

Ibn al-Abbar, in full Abu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn al-Abbar was a well-known poet, diplomat, theologian and scholar from al-Andalus and perhaps the most famous man of letters produced by the city of Valencia, Spain during the middle ages....
 and Ibn Amira
Ibn Amira

Ibn Amira was a historian, poet, and scholar of law from al-Andalus during the reign of the Almohad dynasty. Ibn Amira was kadi of Mallorca and worked for the Almohad sultan in Valencia, Spain and Sevilla and moved to Morocco in 1239/40 and continued to work for the sultan there....
 mourned their exile from their beloved Valencia. On 9 October King James, followed by his retinue and army, took possession. The principal mosque was purified, Mass was celebrated, and the "Te Deum" sung. James incorporated city and territory into the new formed Kingdom of Valencia
Kingdom of Valencia

The Christian Kingdom of Valencia , located in the Eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon....
, one of the kingdoms forming the Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon

The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon.At the height of its power by the 14th and 15th centuries, the Crown of Aragon was a thalassocracy controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain, Northern Catalonia, as well as some of the major islands and mainland...
.

Catholic sources state that Saint Vincent Ferrer
Vincent Ferrer

Vincent Ferrer was a Kingdom of Valencia Dominican Order missionary and logician. Vincent was the fourth child of the Anglo-Scottish nobleman William Stewart Ferrer and his Spanish wife, Constantia Miguel.....
 preached so successfully (sometime between 1390 and 1411), converting thousands of Jews, that he was permitted to employ the synagogue for his newly-founded hospital of San Salvador.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Valencia was one of the major cities in the Mediterranean. The writer Joanot Martorell
Joanot Martorell

Joanot Martorell was the Kingdom of Valencian author of the novel Tirant lo Blanch, which is written in Valencian . First published in Valencia in 1490, it was reprinted in Barcelona in 1497, and some consider it the first modern novel in Europe....
, author of Tirant lo Blanch, and the poet Ausias March are famous Valencians of that era.

The first printing press in the Iberian Peninsula was located in Valencia. The first printed Bible in a Romance language, Valencian, was printed in Valencia circa 1478, attributed to Bonifaci Ferrer. See Spread of the printing press.

Valencian bankers loaned funds to Queen Isabella for Columbus
Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was a Republic of Genoa navigator, colonialist and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean?funded by Queen Isabella of Spain?led to general European awareness of the America in the Western Hemisphere....
' trip in 1492.

In 1519–1522 the Guilds revolts
Revolta de les Germanies

The Revolt of the Brotherhoods was a revolt by artisan guilds against the government of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in the Kingdom_of_Valencia#Modern_Era.2C_the_Germanies.2C_and_decay, part of the Crown of Aragon....
 took place. in 1609, the Morisco
Morisco

A morisco or mourisco was any Muslim of Spain or Portugal who converted to Catholicism during the reconquista of Spain. The term also became a pejorative applied to those who had converted but were suspected of secretly practicing Islam....
s
were expelled from the city.

During the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession

War of the Spanish Succession was a war fought in 1701-1714, in which several European powers combined to stop a possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under a single Bourbon monarch, upsetting the European Balance of power in international relations....
, Valencia sided with Charles of Austria. On 24 January 1706, Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough, 1st Earl of Monmouth, led a handful of English cavalrymen into the city after riding south from Barcelona, capturing the nearby fortress at Sagunto, and bluffing the Spanish Bourbon army into withdrawal.

The English held the city for 16 months and defeated several attempts to expel them. English soldiers advanced as far as Requena on the road to Madrid. After the victory of the Bourbons at the Battle of Almansa
Battle of Almansa

The Battle of Almansa, fought on April 25, 1707, was one of the most decisive engagements of the War of the Spanish Succession. At Almansa, the France–Spain army under James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick soundly defeated the allied forces of Kingdom of Portugal, Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Dutch Republic led by the Henri de Massu...
 (25 April 1707), the English army evacuated Valencia and the city subsequently lost its privileges including important civil rights called furs by the way the Bourbons decided to burn important cities like Xativa, where actually is still the picture of the Spanish Bourbon turned back as protest.

During the Peninsular War
Peninsular War

The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence was a contest between First French Empire and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Kingdom of Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars....
 Valencia was besieged by the French under Marshal Suchet from Christmas day 1811, until it fell on January 8 the next year.

The last victim of the Spanish Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition was an ecclesiastical tribunal established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile....
, a local schoolteacher called Cayetano Ripoll
Cayetano Ripoll

Cayetano Ripoll , was a poor schoolmaster in Valencia, Spain, who was garroted or hanged to death on 26 July 1826 for allegedly teaching Deist principles....
, was executed in Valencia in July 1826 accused being a deist and freemason.

During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted coup d'?tat by a group of Spanish Army generals, supported by the conservative Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right , Carlist groups and the fascistic Falange, against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of pr...
, the capital of the Republic was moved to Valencia, and the city suffered from the blockade and siege by Franco's forces. However, the postwar period was hard for Valencians. During the Franco years, speaking or teaching Valencian was prohibited (in a significant reversal it is now compulsory for every child studying in Valencia).

Modern history

In 1957 the city suffered a severe flood by the Turia River, with in some streets. One consequence of this was that a decision was made to drain and reroute the river and it now passes around the Western and southern suburbs of the city. A plan to turn the drained area into a motorway was dropped in favour of a picturesque park which bisects the city.

Valencia was granted Autonomous Statutes in 1982.

On 3 July 2006, just days before a Catholic celebration to be led by Pope Benedict, Valencia was the scene of a metro accident in which over 40 people died. The investigation is still ongoing.

On 9 July 2006, during Mass at Valencia's Cathedral, Our Lady of the Forsaken Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI used, at the World Day of Families, the Santo Caliz, a 1st-century Middle-Eastern artifact believed by many to be the Holy Grail
Holy Grail

According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers....
. It was supposedly brought to that church by Emperor Valerian in the 3rd century, after having been brought from Jerusalem by St. Peter to Rome. The Santo Caliz ("Holy Chalice") is a simple, small stone cup. Its base was added in medieval times and consists of fine gold, alabaster, and gem stones.

Valencia was selected in 2003 to host the historic America's Cup
America's Cup

The America?s Cup is the most prestigious regatta and match race in the sport of sailing, and the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Summer Olympics by 45 years....
 yacht race becoming the first European city to do so. The America's Cup matches
2007 America's Cup

The 2007 America's Cup was the thirty-second regatta vying for the America's Cup and was won by Alinghi in the 7th race. The Cup is the most famous and most prestigious regatta and Match race in the sport of sailing....
 took place in summer 2007. On 3 July 2007, Alinghi defeated Team New Zealand, and successfully defended the America's Cup. 22 days later, on 25 July 2007, the leaders of the Alinghi
Alinghi

Alinghi is a coined name of the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli to challenge for the America's Cup. Bertarelli had raced several smaller yachts named Alinghi previously, but 2003 was his first attempt at the America's Cup....
 syndicate, holder of the America's Cup
America's Cup

The America?s Cup is the most prestigious regatta and match race in the sport of sailing, and the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Summer Olympics by 45 years....
, officially announced Valencia would be the host city for the 33rd America's Cup, to be carried out on June 2009.

Architecture

The ancient winding streets of the Barrio del Carmen contain buildings dating to Roman
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
 and Arabic
Al-Andalus

Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to the parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Arab Muslims, at various times in the period between 711 and 1492....
 times. The Cathedral, built between the 13th and 15th century, is primarily of Gothic
Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
 style but contains elements of Baroque
Baroque architecture

Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical, theatrical, sculptural fashion, expressing the triumph of absolutist church and state....
 and Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which evolved into the Gothic architecture style beginning in the 12th century....
. Beside the Cathedral is the Gothic Basilica
Basilica

The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a ancient Rome public building , usually located in the Forum of a Roman town. In Hellenistic cities, public basilicas appeared in the 2nd century BC....
 of the Virgin (Basílica De La Virgen De Los Desamparados). The 15th century Serrano and Quart towers are part of what was once the wall surrounding the city.

UNESCO
UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945....
 has recognised the Late Gothic silk exchange (La Lonja de la Seda) as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 Sovereign state which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term....
. The modernist
Modern architecture

Modern architecture is a set of building styles with similar characteristics, primarily the simplification of form and the elimination of Ornament ....
 Central Market (Mercado Central) is one of the largest in Europe. The main railway station Estación Del Norte is built in modernisme
Modernisme

See also: ModernismModernisme also known, in English language, as Catalan modernism, was the Catalonia equivalent to a number of fin-de-si?cle art movements, such as Symbolism , Decadent movement and Art Nouveau / Jugendstil, from roughly 1888 to 1911....
 (the Spanish version of Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau is an international Art movement and style of art, architecture and applied art?especially the decorative arts?that peaked in popularity at Fin de si?cle of the 20th century ....
) style.

World-renowned (and city-born) architect Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava

Santiago Calatrava Valls is an internationally recognized and award-winning Valencian Community Spain architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zurich, Switzerland....
 produced the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències
Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències

The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ci?ncies , Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias or City of Arts and Sciences...
), which contains an opera house/performing arts centre, a science museum, an IMAX
IMAX

IMAX is a film film format and projection standard created by Canada's IMAX Corporation. The traditional version of IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and than conventional film display systems....
 cinema/planetarium, an oceanographic park and other structures such as a long covered walkway and restaurants. Calatrava is also responsible for the bridge named after him in the center of the city. The Music Palace (Palau De La Música) is another good example of modern architecture in Valencia.

Valencia Es Cathedral Alabaster Windows
The cathedral was called in the early days of the Reconquista Iglesia Mayor, then Seo (from Latin sedes, i.e. (archiepiscopal) see), and in virtue of the papal concession of 16 October, 1866, it is called the Basilica metropolitana. It is situated in the centre of the ancient Roman city where some believe the temple of Diana stood. In Gothic times, it seems to have been dedicated to the most Holy Saviour; the Cid dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin; King Jaime the Conqueror did likewise, leaving in the main chapel the image of the Blessed Virgin which he carried with him and which is believed to be the one which is now preserved in the sacristy. The Moorish mosque, which had been converted into a Christian church by the conqueror, appeared unworthy of the title of the cathedral of Valencia, and in 1262 Bishop Andrés de Albalat laid the cornerstone of the new Gothic building, with three naves; these reach only to the choir of the present building. Bishop Vidal de Blanes built the magnificent chapter hall, and Jaime de Aragón added the tower, called "Miguelete" because it was blessed on St. Michael's day in 1418, which is about high and finished at the top with a belfry
Bell tower

A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more Bell s, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells....
.

In the fifteenth century the dome was added and the naves extended back of the choir, uniting the building to the tower and forming a main entrance. Archbishop Luis Alfonso de los Cameros began the building of the main chapel in 1674; the walls were decorated with marbles and bronzes in the over-ornate style of that decadent period. At the beginning of the eighteenth century the German Conrad Rudolphus built the façade of the main entrance. The other two doors lead into the transept; one, that of the Apostles in pure pointed Gothic, dates from the fourteenth century, the other is that of the Paláu. The additions made to the back of the cathedral detract from its height. The eighteenth century-restoration rounded the pointed arches, covered the Gothic columns with Corinthian
Corinthian order

The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greece and Rome architecture, characterized by a slender Fluting column and an ornate capital decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls....
 pillars, and redecorated the walls. The dome has no lantern, its plain ceiling being pierced by two large side windows. There are four chapels on either side, besides that at the end and those that open into the choir, the transept, and the presbyterium. It contains many paintings by eminent artists. A magnificent silver reredos
Reredos

There are two common meanings of the word reredos. In general architecture, the word can mean the back of an open hearth of a fireplace or a screen placed behind a table....
, which was behind the altar, was carried away in the war of 1808, and converted into coin to meet the expenses of the campaign. Behind the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is a beautiful little Renaissance
Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe....
 chapel built by Calixtus III. Beside the cathedral is the chapel dedicated to the "Virgen de los desamparados".

In 1409, a hospital was founded and placed under the patronage of Santa María de los Inocentes; to this was attached a confraternity devoted to recovering the bodies of the unfriended dead in the city and within a radius of three miles (5 km) around it. At the end of the fifteenth century this confraternity separated from the hospital, and continued its work under the name of "Cofradia para el ámparo de los desamparados". King Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain

Philip IV , was List of Spanish monarchs between 1621 and 1665, Sovereignty of the Spanish Netherlands, and List of Portuguese monarchs until 1640....
 and the Duke of Arcos suggested the building of the new chapel, and in 1647 the Viceroy
Viceroy

A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king....
, Conde de Orpesa, who had been preserved from the bubonic plague, insisted on carrying out their project. The Blessed Virgin was proclaimed patroness of the city under the title of "Virgen de los desamparados" 'Virgin of the abandonees', and Archbishop Pedro de Urbina, on 31 June, 1652, laid the corner-stone of the new chapel of this name. The archiepiscopal palace, a grain market in the time of the Moors, is simple in design, with an inside cloister and a handsome chapel. In 1357 the arch which connects it with the cathedral was built. In the council chamber are preserved the portraits of all the prelates of Valencia.
Ciudad De Las Ciencias Noche
Among the parish churches those deserving special mention are: Saints John (Baptist and Evangelist), rebuilt in 1368, whose dome, decorated by Palonino, contains some of the best frescoes of Spain; El Templo 'the Temple', the ancient church of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple , were among the most famous of the History of Christianity#Sanctification of knighthood military orders....
, which passed into the hands of the Order of Montesa
Order of Montesa

The Order of Montesa was a Christian military order, territorially limited to the Kingdom of Aragon....
 and which was rebuilt in the reigns of Ferdinand VI and Charles III
Charles III of Spain

Charles III was list of Spanish monarchs 1759?88 , King of Kingdom of Naples and Kingdom of Sicily 1735?59 , and Duchy of Parma 1732?35 . He was a proponent of enlightened absolutism....
; the former convent of the Dominicans, at present the headquarters of the "capital general", the cloister of which has a beautiful Gothic wing and the chapter room, large columns imitating palm trees; the Colegio del Corpus Christi, which is devoted to the exclusive worship of the Blessed Sacrament, and in which perpetual adoration is carried on; the Jesuit college, which was destroyed (1868) by the revolutionary Committee, but rebuilt on the same site; the Colegio de San Juan (also of the Society), the former college of the nobles, now a provincial institute for secondary instruction.

Squares and gardens

The largest square
List of city squares by size

This article lists the largest city squares, ordered by area. Areas given are in square meters as noted in the articles or the reference provided, but may not be directly comparable....
 is the Plaça de l'Ajuntament, which contains the town hall (ajuntament), a cinema which shows classic movies (La Filmoteca), and many restaurants and bars. This is where the noisy fireworks of the mascletà can be heard every afternoon during the Las Fallas
Falles

The Falles are a Valencian traditional celebration in praise of Saint Joseph in Valencia, Spain. The term Falles refers to both the celebration and the monuments created during the celebration....
.

The Plaça de la Verge contains the Basilica of the Virgin and the Turia fountain, and is a popular spot for locals and tourists. Around the corner is the Plaça de la Reina, with the Cathedral, orange trees, and many bars and restaurants.

The Turia River
Turia River

The River Turia is a Spanish river whose source is in the Teruel . It runs through the Valencia province and discharges into the Mediterranean sea near the Valencia, Spain....
 was diverted in the 1960s, after severe flooding, and the old river bed is now the Turia gardens, which contain a children’s playground, a fountain, and sports fields. The Palau de la Música is adjacent to the Turia gardens and the City of Arts and Sciences lies at one end.

Other gardens in Valencia include the Real, Monforte, and Botanical gardens.

Famous people born in Valencia and Valencia province

  • Pope Alexander VI
    Pope Alexander VI

    Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llan?ol, later Roderic de Borja i Borja was Pope from 1492 to 1503. He is the most controversial of the Secularism popes of the Renaissance, and his surname became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era....
    , Pope from 1492 to 1503.
  • Alfonso III
    Alfonso III of Aragon

    File:Alfonso III of Aragon.jpgAlfonso III , called the Liberal or the Free , was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1285....
    , King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona (as Alfons II).
  • Guillén de Castro, famous Spanish writer of the Spanish Golden Age
    Spanish Golden Age

    The Spanish Golden Age was a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty....
     (1569-1631).
  • Josep Maria Bayarri
    Josep Maria Bayarri

    Josep Maria Bayarri Hurtado was a writer and poet, also known as Xusep Maria Vaiarri.He studied at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts before releasing his first publication, 1915's collection of Valencian poetry, Poetes valencians contemporanis, featuring various poets of his generation....
    , linguist, poet and writer.
  • Vicente Blasco Ibáñez
    Vicente Blasco Ibáñez

    Vicente Blasco Ib??ez was a Spain Spanish Realist literature novelist writing Spanish-language author, a screenwriter and occasional film director....
    , Spanish realist novelist writing in Spanish, a screenwriter and occasional film director (1867 – 1928)
  • Nino Bravo
    Nino Bravo

    Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis , popularly known by the artistic name of Nino Bravo, was an international singing star from Spain.Bravo was born near Valencia ....
     (Birth name, Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis) A legendary Spanish singer from the 70s era. He died in a car-crash at the age of 28.
  • Santiago Calatrava
    Santiago Calatrava

    Santiago Calatrava Valls is an internationally recognized and award-winning Valencian Community Spain architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zurich, Switzerland....
    , internationally recognized and award-winning architect.
  • Larissa Knudson, internationally recognized special education teacher
  • María Teresa Fernández de la Vega
    María Teresa Fernández de la Vega

    Mar?a Teresa Fern?ndez de la Vega Sanz, Doctor of Law is a Spain Spanish Socialist Workers' Party politician, since April 18 2004 the First Vice President , Minister of Presidency and Minister-Spokerperson of the Government of Spain in the government of Jos? Luis Rodr?guez Zapatero....
    , Spanish Socialist Workers' Party politician and the first female First Vice President of Spain.
  • King James II of Aragon
    James II of Aragon

    James II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Kingdom of Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327....
    .
  • Joan Lluís Vives, a scholar and humanist.
  • King Peter III of Aragon
    Peter III of Aragon

    Peter the Great was the King of Aragon of Kingdom of Valencia and of Majorca , and Sovereign Count of Barcelona from 1276 to his death. He conquered Kingdom of Sicily and became King of Sicily in 1282....
     (Peter the Great).
  • Saint Vincent Ferrer, Dominican missionary and logician.
  • Joaquin Rodrigo
    Joaquín Rodrigo

    Joaqu?n Rodrigo Vidre was a composer of european classical music and a virtuoso pianist. Despite being blind from an early age, he achieved great success....
    , Music Composer.
  • Manuel Palau, Music Composer.


Economy

Valencia has enjoyed strong economic growth over the last decade, much of it spurred by tourism and the construction industry.

Port

Valencia’s port is the biggest on the Mediterranean Western coast, the first of Spain in Container Traffic as 2008 and the second of Spain in total traffic, handling 20% of Spain’s exports. The main exports are food and drink (the Valencian region is famous for its oranges
Orange (fruit)

An orange?specifically, the sweet orange?is the citrus Citrus sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a Hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine ....
), furniture, ceramic tiles, fans, textiles and iron products. Valencia’s manufacturing sector focuses on metallurgy, chemicals, textiles, shipbuilding and brewing. Unemployment is lower than the Spanish average. Small and medium sized industries are an important part of the local economy.

Following the announcement that the 32nd America's Cup would be held in Valencia in 2007, the port underwent radical changes in which the port was divided into two parts, one part remaining unchanged while the other section would be used exclusively for the America's Cup festivities. The two sections are now divided by a wall that goes deep into the water in an attempt to maintain clean water for the America's Cup side.

Tourism

Formerly an industrial city, Valencia saw rapid development that started in the mid-1990s, expanding its cultural and touristic possibilities, which turned it into a vibrant city, restoring old landmarks like the old Towers of the medieval city (Serrano Towers and Quart Towers), monasteries like the San Miguel de los Reyes monastery, which now holds a specialized library, the whole Malvarrosa beach, with the construction of a long paseo or complete quarters, like the old Carmen Quarter, which has seen extensive renovation.

Another appealing feature of the city is its numerous convention centres, like the Valencia Fair (Feria de Valencia), the Conference Palace (Palau de Congressos) and several 5 star hotels.

The city of Valencia and the surrounding area are expected to attract millions of visitors from around the world given that the city of Valencia has been chosen to host the 32nd America's Cup
America's Cup

The America?s Cup is the most prestigious regatta and match race in the sport of sailing, and the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Summer Olympics by 45 years....
. The first America's Cup competitions took place in June and July 2005 and were key attractions during the summer of 2005. According to official data from the organizing committee, as many as 150,000 visitors flocked to Valencia's port each day during the two-week events.

Also, on 10 May 2007, Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone

Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is the president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and owns a stake in Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies....
 announced that Valencia will be the host of an urban circuit
Valencia Street Circuit

The Valencia Street Circuit is a semi-permanent race circuit in Valencia, Spain which hosts the Formula One European Grand Prix Telef?nica. The circuit utilizes the roads around the port city's port area, and also includes some roads designed exclusively for racing purposes by the German architect Hermann Tilke who also designed the infras...
 of F1, beginning in 2008, and on 1 June 2007 the contract was signed in the F1 headquarters
Headquarters

Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are concentrated. The corporate headquarters is the entity at the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities....
.

Demographics

One notable demographic change in Valencia in the last decade has been the growth in the foreign born population which has risen from 1.5% in the year 2000 to 14.4% in 2008, a trend that has also occurred in the two larger cities of Madrid and Barcelona The main countries of origin were Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Morocco and Romania. Between 2007 and 2008 there was a 14% increase in the foreign born population with the largest numeric increases by country being from Bolivia, Romania and Italy.

Climate


Valencia has a very changeable Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate

A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide....
, with hot dry summers, mild humid winters and stormy autumns and springs.

Its average temperature is 17.8 °C (64 °F). As the chart shows their average values range from 11.5 °C (52.7 °F) January and the 25.5°C (72.5 °F) August.

The precipitation is 454 mm. (~17.87 inches) per year. This is usually intense and concentrated in the Autumn.

City of Valencia observatory Altitude (m): 11; Latitude: 39 28 48; Length: 0 22 52;
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Total[1]
Temperature 11.5 12.6 13.9 15.5 18.4 22.1 24.9 25.5 23.1 19.1 14.9 12.4 17.8
Maximum 16.1 17.2 18.7 20.2 22.8 26.2 29.1 29.6 27.6 23.6 19.5 16.8 22.3
Minimum 7.0 7.9 9.0 10.8 14.1 17.9 20.8 21.4 18.6 14.5 10.4 8.1 13.4
Precipitacion 36 32 35 37 34 23 9 19 51 74 51 52 454
Humidity 63 61 61 60 65 65 66 68 67 66 65 65 65
DAYS[3]
Rain 4 3 4 5 5 3 1 2 4 5 4 5 44
Snow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Storm 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 2 1 0 18
Cloud 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 10
Ice 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sunshine 9 6 7 5 5 8 13 10 7 6 7 7 91
Hours of sunshine 169 169 212 229 256 271 314 285 237 201 167 150 2660


Culture

Valencia is known for Las Fallas
Falles

The Falles are a Valencian traditional celebration in praise of Saint Joseph in Valencia, Spain. The term Falles refers to both the celebration and the monuments created during the celebration....
, which is a famous local festival held in March, for paella
Paella

Paella is a rice dish which originated in the Spanish Autonomous Communities of Valencian Community near lake Albufera, a coastal lagoon in eastern Spain....
 valenciana
, traditional Valencian ceramics, intricate traditional dress, and the striking new architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences
Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències

The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ci?ncies , Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias or City of Arts and Sciences...
 designed by its own son, architect Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava

Santiago Calatrava Valls is an internationally recognized and award-winning Valencian Community Spain architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zurich, Switzerland....
.

La Tomatina
Tomatina

La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the town of Bu?ol in the Valencia region of Spain. Tens of thousands of participants come from all over the world to fight in a brutal battle where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets....
, an annual tomato fight, draws crowds to the nearby town of Buñol in August. There are also a number of well preserved Catholic fiestas throughout the year. Holy week
Holy Week

Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. It includes the religious holidays of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and lasts from Palm Sunday until but not including Easter Sunday, as Easter Sunday is the first day of the new season of Pentecostarion....
 celebrations in Valencia are considered the most colourful in Spain. Valencia has a metro
Rapid transit

A rapid transit, subway, underground, elevated railway or metro system is an railway electrification system public transport rail transport in an urban area with high capacity and frequency, and which is grade separation from other traffic....
 system, the Valencia Metro.

Valencia is also famous for its football club Valencia C.F., which won the Spanish league
La Liga

The 'Primera Divisi?n' of the , commonly known as 'La Liga' or 'Liga BBVA' since 2008, is the top professional association football league in Spain....
 in 2002 and 2004 (in which year it also won the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup

The UEFA Cup is a association football competition for European club teams, organised by the UEFA. It is the second most important international competition for European football clubs, after the UEFA Champions League....
), and was also a UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup, is a seasonal club Association football competition organised by UEFA since 1992 for the most successful football clubs in Europe....
 runner-up in 2000 and 2001, it is one of the most famous football clubs in Spain and Internationally. Its city rival Levante C.F. currently plays in the second division.

Languages

The two official languages spoken in the city are Valencian
Valencian

Valencian is the historical, traditional, and official name used in the Valencian Community of Spain to refer to the region's native language, known elsewhere as Catalan language ....
 and Spanish
Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
. Due to political and demographic pressure in the past, the predominant language is Spanish, but Valencian is predominant in most of the surrounding metropolitan area
Metropolitan area

A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central city and their zone of influence....
 and province of Valencia
Valencia (province)

Valencia is a provinces of Spain of Spain, in the central part of the Valencian Community.It is bordered by the provinces of Alicante , Albacete , Cuenca , Teruel , Castell?n , and the Mediterranean Sea....
 . In fact the government weakly emphasizes the usage of the local language. It does this, for example, by posting all signs and announcements of the Metro in Valencian and Spanish translations in smaller type underneath. Valencian is also used when naming streets. New street signs, when erected, are always given the Valencian name for street (Carrer). However the older street names bearing the Spanish names are only replaced when necessary. This results in a situation where in longer streets both languages can often be seen on street signs.

Nightlife

Valencia is famous for its vibrant nightlife. In the 1980s and 1990s the town was famous for the so called ruta del bakalao. Today, the more alternative/bohemian bars and nightclubs are concentrated in the Carmen, while the student nightlife is found around Blasco Ibáñez and Benimaclet
Benimaclet

Benimaclet is a former village which is now part of the city of Valencia, Spain. The placename is of Arabic origin dating from Moorish times....
, the more mainstream weekend nightlife has its clusters in the areas of Cánovas and Joan Llorens. In the summer, there is also nightlife on the beach and at the Port. Agua de Valencia
Agua de Valencia

Agua de Valencia is a cocktail made from a base of cava or champagne , orange juice, vodka and gin. In general, it is served in pitchers of various sizes and is drunk in a broad cocktail glass....
 is the city's unofficial cocktail.

Food


Valencia is famous for its wonderful gastronomic culture. Paella
Paella

Paella is a rice dish which originated in the Spanish Autonomous Communities of Valencian Community near lake Albufera, a coastal lagoon in eastern Spain....
 – rice dish that can have fish or meat (chicken and rabbit) –, orxata, fartons, buñuelos
Buñuelos

Bu?uelos are fritters of a mainly Spanish origin. They are a popular snack in many Latin American countries, the Philippines, and in some of them they are traditionally eaten at Christmas....
, Spanish omelette, rosquilletas and squid
Squid (food)

Squid is a popular food in many parts of the world.In many of the languages around the Mediterranean sea, squid are referred to by a term related to the Italian language 'calamari' , which in English language has become a culinary name for Mediterranean dishes involving squid, especially fried squid ....
 (calamares) are some examples of typical Valencian foods.

Museums


  • Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències
    Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències

    The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ci?ncies , Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias or City of Arts and Sciences...
     City of Arts and Sciences
    The City of Arts and Sciences was designed by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava
    Santiago Calatrava

    Santiago Calatrava Valls is an internationally recognized and award-winning Valencian Community Spain architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zurich, Switzerland....
    . It is situated in the former Túria river-bed and comprises the following monuments:
    • Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia
    A flamboyant opera and music palace with four halls and a total area of 37,000 m2.
    • L'Oceanogràfic
    Biggest aquarium in Europe, with a variety of ocean beings from different environments: from the Mediterranean, fishes from the ocean and reef inhabitants, shark
    Shark

    Sharks are a type of fish with a full Cartilage skeleton and a highly Streamlines, streaklines and pathlinesd body. They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits....
    s, mackerel
    Mackerel

    Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They occur in all tropical and temperate seas....
     swarms, dolphinarium
    Dolphinarium

    A dolphinarium is an aquarium for dolphins. The dolphins are usually kept in a large pool, though occasionally they may be kept in pens in the open sea, either for research or for public performances....
    , inhabitants of the polar regions (belugas, penguin
    Penguin

    Penguins are a group of Aquatic animal, flightless bird birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershading dark and white plumage, and their wings have become Flipper ....
    s), coast inhabitants (sea lion
    Sea Lion

    For other uses of the term "sea lion", see Sea lion .Sea lions are any of seven species in six genera of modern pinnipeds including one extinct ....
    s), etc. L'Oceanogràfic exhibits also smaller animals as coral
    Coral

    Corals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone?like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals....
    , jellyfish
    Jellyfish

    Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. They have several different morphologies that represent several different cnidarian classes including the Scyphozoa , Staurozoa , Cubozoa , and Hydrozoa ....
    , sea anemone
    Sea anemone

    Sea anemones are a group of water dwelling, predation animals of the order Actiniaria; they are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower....
    s, etc.
  • Museu de Prehistòria de València Prehistory Museum of Valencia
  • Museu Valencià d'Etnologia Valencian Museum of Ethnology
    Valencian Museum of Ethnology

    The Museu Valenci? d?Etnologia was created in 1982. It aims to promote research and circulate knowledge regarding the fields of Ethnology and Anthropology, making a dynamic informative space available to the public....
  • House Museum Blasco Ibáñez
    Vicente Blasco Ibáñez

    Vicente Blasco Ib??ez was a Spain Spanish Realist literature novelist writing Spanish-language author, a screenwriter and occasional film director....
  • IVAM – Institut Valencià d'Art Modern – Centre Julio González Julio González Centre – Valencian Institute of Modern Art
  • Museu de Belles Arts "San Pío V" Museum of Fine Arts
  • Museu Faller Falles
    Falles

    The Falles are a Valencian traditional celebration in praise of Saint Joseph in Valencia, Spain. The term Falles refers to both the celebration and the monuments created during the celebration....
     Museum
  • Museu d'Història de València Museum of History of Valencia
  • Museu Taurí de València – Bullfighting Museum
  • MuVIM – Museu Valencià de la Il·lustració i la Modernitat Valencian Museum of Enlightenment and Modernity
  • Museo Nacional de Cerámica y de las Artes Suntuarias González Martí - National Museum of Pottery and Sumptuary Arts González Martí


Transportation


Public transport is provided by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana or FGV is a Spain railway company which operates several metre gauge lines, in the Autonomous communities of Spain of Valencia , in Spain....
 (FGV) which operates the Valencia Metro and other rail and bus services. The Valencia Airport
Valencia Airport

Valencia Airport in Manises is the 8th busiest Spain airport in terms of passengers and second in the region after Alicante. It is situated 9km west of the city of Valencia, Spain....
 is situated 9 km (5.6 miles) west of downtown Valencia.

Districts of Valencia

  • CIUTAT VELLA: La Seu, La Xerea, El Carmen, El Pilar, El Mercado, San Francisco.
  • EXTENSIÓ: Russafa, El Pla del Remei, Gran Via.
  • EXTRAMURS: El Botànic, La Roqueta, La Pechina, Arrancapins.
  • CAMPANAR: Campanar, Les Tendetes, El Calvari, Sant Pau.
  • LA SAÏDIA: Marxalenes, Morvedre, Trinitat, Tormos, Sant Antoni.
  • PLA DEL REAL: Exposició, Mestalla, Jaume Roig, Ciutat Universitària
  • OLIVERETA: Nou Moles, Soternes, Tres Forques, La Fontsanta, La Luz.
  • PATRAIX: Patraix, Sant Isidre, Vara de Quart, Safranar, Favara.
  • JESUS: La Raiosa, L'Hort de Senabre, The Covered Cross, Saint Marcelino, Real Way.
  • QUATRE CARRERES: Montolivet, En Corts, Malilla, La Font de Sant Lluís, Na Rovella, La Punta, Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències
    Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències

    The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ci?ncies , Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias or City of Arts and Sciences...
    .
  • POBLATS MARÍTIMS: El Grau, El Cabanyal, El Canyameral, La Malva-Rosa, Beteró, Nazaret.
  • CAMINS DEL GRAU: Aiora, Albors, Creu del Grau, Camí Fondo, Penya-Roja.
  • ALGIRÒS: Illa Perduda, Ciutat Jardí, Amistat, Vega Baixa, la Carrasca.
  • BENIMACLET: Benimaclet
    Benimaclet

    Benimaclet is a former village which is now part of the city of Valencia, Spain. The placename is of Arabic origin dating from Moorish times....
    , Camí de Vera.
  • RASCANYA: Orriols, Torrefiel, Sant Llorenç.
  • BENICALAP: Benicalap, Ciutat Fallera.


  • POBLES DEL NORD: Benifaraig, Poble Nou, Carpesa , Cases de Bàrcena, Mauella, Massarrojos, Borbotó.
  • POBLES DE L'OEST: Benimàmet, Beniferri.
  • POBLES DEL SUD: Forn d'Alcedo, Castellar-l'Oliveral, Pinedo, el Saler, el Palmar, el Perellonet, la Torre,


Gallery


Twin towns - Sister cities

Valencia is twinned
Town twinning

Town twinning, also known as sister cities, is a concept whereby towns or city in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links between their inhabitants....
 with:
Mainz
Mainz

Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the Germany States of Germany of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was a politically important seat of the Prince-elector of Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman Empire fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine River and formed part of the northernmost frontier of th...
 in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 (since 4 August 1978 ) Bologna
Bologna

Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Po Valley , between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, exactly between the Reno River and the S?vena River....
 in Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
 (since 29 June 1979) Veracruz
Veracruz

Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states of Mexico that constitute the republic of Mexico....
 in Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
 (since 26 September 1984 )
Sacramento
Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the Capital of the United States U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County, California. Located along the Sacramento River and just south of the American River's confluence in California's expansive California Central Valley, it is the seventh-largest city in California.....
 in United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 (since 29 June 1989) Valencia in Venezuela
Venezuela

Venezuela , officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a country on the northern coast of South America.The country comprises a continental mainland and numerous islands located off the Venezuelan coastline in the Caribbean Sea....
 (since 20 March 1982) Odessa
Odessa

Odessa or Odesa is the Capital of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major port located on the shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 ....
 in Ukraine
Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south....
 (since 13 May 1982)


See also

  • Archdiocese of Valencia
    Archdiocese of Valencia

    The Archdiocese of Valencia is a Catholic ecclesiastical territory located in north-eastern Spain, in the Provinces of Spain of Valencia , part of the autonomous communities of Spain of Valencia ....
  • Benimaclet
    Benimaclet

    Benimaclet is a former village which is now part of the city of Valencia, Spain. The placename is of Arabic origin dating from Moorish times....
  • El Cid
    El Cid

    Rodrigo D?az de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador, was a Kingdom of Castile nobleman, a gifted military leader and diplomat who, after being exiled, conquered and governed the city of Valencia ....
  • Ibn al-Abbar
    Ibn al-Abbar

    Ibn al-Abbar, in full Abu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn al-Abbar was a well-known poet, diplomat, theologian and scholar from al-Andalus and perhaps the most famous man of letters produced by the city of Valencia, Spain during the middle ages....
  • Spanish wine
    Spanish wine

    Spanish wines are wines produced in the southwestern European country of Spain. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9 million acres planted--making it the most widely planted wine producing nation but it is only the third largest producer of wine in the world, the largest being Italy and France....
  • Valencia Metro (Spain)
  • Valencia Street Circuit
    Valencia Street Circuit

    The Valencia Street Circuit is a semi-permanent race circuit in Valencia, Spain which hosts the Formula One European Grand Prix Telef?nica. The circuit utilizes the roads around the port city's port area, and also includes some roads designed exclusively for racing purposes by the German architect Hermann Tilke who also designed the infras...


External links

  • and in Valencian
    Valencian

    Valencian is the historical, traditional, and official name used in the Valencian Community of Spain to refer to the region's native language, known elsewhere as Catalan language ....
  • history of medieval Valencia
  • and in Valencian + easy-access static pages in all eight languages
  • Valencia on Wikitravel
    Wikitravel

    Wikitravel is a World Wide Web-based project "to create a free content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide guide book." Launched in July 2003 by Evan Prodromou and Michele Ann Jenkins, the Web site is based upon the wiki model, using the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license....
  • Valencia Blog
  • An English online guide of Valencia with the latest news focused on tourism in this region
  • Local Newspaper