User:Brateevsky/Valencia

Panoramic view of Valencia from the Micalet tower looking south

Valencia or València, pronounced [baˈlenθja] (bahl-EHN-thyah) in Spanish, and [vaˈlensia] (vahl-EHN-see-ah) in Valencian, is a charming old city and the capital of the Valencian Community. With just under 800,000 inhabitants, it is Spain’s third-largest city and, after Barcelona, the most significant cultural centre along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It is the capital of the autonomous Valencian Community, and is known for tourism and cuisine. In March visitors flock to the city for the annual UNESCO-listed Falles celebration, but the city is worth visiting at other times of year for its paella, ultramodern architecture, and good beaches.

Understand

Saló Columnari (Hall of Columns) in the Llotja de la Seda

Jardí del Túria, the old Túria riverbed, with the Museum of Fine Arts in the background

Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe, in the City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatrava

Valentia Edetanorum was established as a Roman colony in the second century BCE. In the early 8th century CE the Moors invaded, and Balansiyya became the capital of the Muslim Taifa of Valencia, thriving as a trading centre for paper, silk, ceramics, glass, and silver. With a brief interlude of Christian control in the 11th century under El Cid, the city remained in Muslim hands until the Christian Reconquista led by King Jaime I of Aragon in 1238, and was incorporated as a kingdom under the Crown of Aragon.

Valencia experienced its golden age in the 15th century, with a growing population and flowering of Valencian culture and the arts. Significant monuments from this period include the cathedral’s Micalet, the UNESCO-listed Llotja de la Seda, and the Torres de Serrano (Serrano Tower). During this period it became one of the most influencial cities of the Mediterranean, and helped to fund Christopher Columbus's first voyages to the Americas.

In 1609 the Spanish government ordered the expulsion of all Jews and Moriscos from the kingdom to north Africa. Muslim descendants made up about a third of the population of Valencia and the surrounding region, and their forced removal brought about a major economic downturn, and in some nearby communities, economic collapse. It was more than a century before the city began to recover.

In the 20th century, Valencia was the capital of Republican Spain from 1936 to 1939, and during the Spanish Civil War sustained heavy bombardment by Franco’s forces, both by air and sea. Franco retaliated for Valencia’s Republican past with cultural and ideological repression, and forbade the use of the Valencian language. In 1957 the Túria River overflowed its banks leading to catastrophic flooding of the old city centre with more than 80 dead. The river was consequently diverted to the south of the city, but it was not until the return of democracy that the original abandoned riverbed was finally converted into a park – now one of the city’s most outstanding features.

In the 21st century Valencia has continued to evolve. In 2007 and 2010 the city hosted the America’s Cup, and from 2008 to 2012 hosted the Formula One European Grand Prix. Architecturally, too, the city has changed, most notably with the construction of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (City of Arts and Sciences) by internationally-renowned Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. The 2015 election of a new leftist coalition city council, after decades of control by the conservative Partido Popular (PP), brought renewed focus on expanding and improving existing infrastructure, including adding three new metro lines and expanding the city’s already extensive bicycle path network. This ongoing transformation has turned a once little-considered medium city into a meatier and more interesting destination.

Climate

• Summer — Like most European countries, August is a slow month as many of the residents are on vacation. At this time of year Valencia is very hot and humid with temperatures averaging between 30-35°C (86-95°F) by day and 20-25°C (68-77°F) by night.
• Fall — September and October are more active months and the weather permits beach outings. Important events take place during this season.
• Winter — Though temperatures are still relatively mild, it's too cold to sunbathe at the beach. It's not unusual though the occasional days reaching around 20°C (68°F) in the middle of this season. Some sidewalk cafés remain open.
• Spring — A lovely time to visit. The annual Falles festival unofficially marks the beginning of spring. Cafés and restaurants open their terraces and life spills out onto the street once again.

Talk

Valencia's official languages are Valencian, which is very similar to Catalán, and Spanish. In the capital of Valencia, which is the third largest city in Spain, not many people speak Valencian, nor are they offended if addressed in Spanish. However, outside the capital, Valencian is often preferred. As in Barcelona with Catalán, it helps to be sensitive to this language dynamic. However, the linguistic issue is not as controversial as in Barcelona and most people in Valencia speak Spanish as their first and often their only language. The English-speaking skills of the locals can be hit or miss. Most people under 35 speak some English and some quite a bit, but most would prefer being addressed at first in Spanish or Valencian. French is also spoken or understood by some.

See

Monuments and architecture

L’Oceanogràfic in the City of Arts and Sciences

Capella del Sant Calze with the Holy Grail

Sala Consulado del Mar ('Consulate of the Sea') in the Llotja de la Seda

• 1 Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias / City of Arts and Science), Av Autopista del Saler, 5 (take a city bus from the train station or the metro to Alameda station), ☏ +34 90 210 0031. Call Centre: M-F 09:00-20:00, Sa 10:00-20:00, Su 10:00-15:00. This ultra-modern architectural complex on the former Turia riverbed was designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava and Spanish-Mexican architect Félix Candela. If you don't want to pay the steep admission charges to the individual sights, you can wander around the complex and appreciate the architecture from outside for free. Combined admission for all sights: €36.25 (adults), €30.85 (students), €27.55 (other concessions); valid for 3 days, however the same venue cannot be visited twice. There is a 10% discount for tickets purchased online.  
  • 2 El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe (Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe / Príncipe Felipe Science Museum). Winter M-Th 10:00-18:00, F Sa 10:00-19:00; spring/fall and Christmas season daily 10:00-19:00; summer daily 10:00-21:00. A science museum designed to resemble a whale skeleton, it has interactive exhibits on three floors. €8 (adults), €6.20 (concessions). (updated Jun 2016)
  • 3 L’Oceanogràfic. Hours vary by season, open daily. The largest oceanarium in Europe, and the second-largest in the world, has seven sections devoted to different ecological zones. The building was designed by Félix Candela to resemble a water lily. Highlights include a dolphinarium, a walk-through shark tunnel, a shark tank (open for public diving), and spherical bird aviary. There are several restaurants on-site, and with so many attractions it’s easy to make this into an all-day affair. €29.10 (adults), €21.85 (concessions). (updated Feb 2017)
  • 4 L’Umbracle. A botanic garden landscaped with plants native to Valencia. The park also has the Jardí d'Astronomia (Jardín de la Astronomía / Astronomy Garden) and the Passeig de l'Art (Paseo del Arte / Art Promenade), which has permanent and temporary exhibits of large-scale contemporary art, mostly sculpture. Free. (updated Jul 2015)
  • 5 L'Àgora. A multi-use covered plaza, designed for sporting events, concerts, and special exhibits. (updated Jul 2015)
  • 6 Pont de l'Assut de l'Or (Puente de l'Assut de l'Or / Assut de l'Or Bridge). The striking cable-stayed bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava and completed in 2008, crosses the dry Túria riverbed. At 125 m high, the bridge tower is the highest point in Valencia. (updated Aug 2016)
• 7 Catedral de Santa María de València (La Seu / Valencia Cathedral), Plaça de la Reina, s/n, ☏ +34 96 391 8127, patrimonio@catedraldevalencia.es. Nov-Mar: M-Sa 10:00-17:30; Apr-Oct: M-Sa 10:00-18:30, Su 14:00-18:30; last admission 45 min before closing. It was the site of a Roman temple, then a Visigothic cathedral, and then a Moorish grand mosque. It is now the seat of the archbishropic of Valencia. The current Gothic structure was begun in 1262 and remodeled numerous times, resulting in a structure with elements from three distinct architectural periods. Especially notable are the Puerta de los Apóstoles from the 14th century, and the Puerta del Palau, the oldest doorway of the cathedral, which is Romanesque with Moorish influences. €7 (adults), €3.50 (concessions). (updated Aug 2015)
  • 8 Capella del Sant Calze (Capilla del Santo Cáliz / Chapel of the Holy Chalice). The focus of this side chapel is a chalice of agate, believed by the devout to be none other than the Holy Grail. Of the handful of similar chalices with the same claim, this is deemed by many scholars to be the most likely candidate as it has been dated by experts to the 1st century BCE. (updated Aug 2015)
  • 9 Micalet (El Miguelete). Daily 10:00-13:00, 16:30-19:00. The unusual octagonal bell tower, with a height of 51 m, was built in the 14th and 15th centuries. It provides a pleasing view of the city. €3 (adults), €1.50 (children under 14). (updated Aug 2015)
• 10 Cripta arqueològica de la presó de Sant Vicent Màrtir (Cripta Arqueológica de la Cárcel de San Vicente Mártir / Archaeological Crypt of the Prison of San Vicente), Plaza del Arzobispo, 3, ☏ +34 962 084 573. M-Sa 09:30-19:00, Su and holidays 09:30-15:00. This Visigothic chapel has on display objects discovered during its excavation including a Visigothic altar, Roman mural, Muslim artifacts, and a sculpture of the early Christian Saint Vicente Mártir, who is believed to have been buried here. €2 (adults), €1 (concessions), free on Su and holidays. (updated Nov 2015)
• 11 Llotja de la Seda (La Lonja de la Seda / Silk Exchange), Carrer de la Llotja, 2, ☏ +34 96 208 4153, lonja@valencia.es. M-Sa 09:30-19:00, Su and holidays 09:30-15:00. This UNESCO landmark is considered to be one of the most significant secular Gothic buildings in Europe. It was built between 1482 and 1533 on the site of an earlier oil exchange. The Llotja consists of four distinct parts: the Sala de Contractació (Trading Hall), also known as the Saló Columnari (Hall of Columns); the Sala Consulado del Mar with its magnificent ceiling; the unfinished Torre (tower) with its debtor prison (temporarily closed to visitors), and the Pati dels Tarongers (Patio of Oranges). Some of the Gothic gargoyles are quite naughty. €2 (adults), €1 (concessions), free on Su and holidays. (updated Jun 2015)

Ceiling frescoes in Església de Sant Nicolau

Monestir de Sant Miquel dels Reis

Torres de Serranos

• 12 Església de Sant Nicolau (Iglesia de San Nicolás / Church of San Nicolás), Carrer dels Cavallers, 35, ☏ +34 963 913 317, info@sannicolasvalencia.com. Oct-Jun: Tu-F 10:30-19:00, Sa 10:30-18:30, Su 13:00-20:00; Jul-Sep: Tu-F 10:30-21:00, Sa 10:30-19:30, Su 11:30-21:00. Established in the 13th century, the church was expanded in several phases, culminating in the current 15th-century Gothic structure. During the late 17th century extensive Baroque renovations were carried out to the interior, the most significant of them being ceiling frescoes. This remarkable set of frescoes completely covers the vault of the nave and the presbytery, and illustrates the lives of St. Nicolás and St. Peter. They were designed by the Italian master Antonio Palomino and painted by his student, Dionis Vidal, and have been completely restored.
  Tourists are not permitted to visit during mass or other liturgical celebrations. €5 (adults), €4 (seniors/students/disabled), free (children under 12). (updated Feb 2018)
• 13 Monestir de Sant Miquel dels Reis (Biblioteca Valenciana Nicolau Primitiu / Monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes), Avinguda de la Constitució, 284 (Els Orriols), ☏ +34 963 874 000. Tours: Sa Su and holidays 12:00, 13:00; no reservation required. Founded in the 16th century, this massive Renaissance building is considered by some historians to be the early model for the more well-known El Escorial near Madrid. In 1835 the monastery was dissolved and came under control of the state; it was used for a time as a school, an asylum, and during the Franco period as a prison. It was fully restored in 1997-2000, and now houses the central library of the Valencian Community, the collection of which includes many of the original volumes kept here during the building's monastic period. Guided architectural tours of the building are offered on weekends (Spanish/Valencian only). Free. (updated Aug 2017)
• 14 Torres de Quart (Porta de Quart), Plaça de Sta Úrsula, 1 (at the end of Carrer de Quart), ☏ +34 96 208 3907, patrimoniohistorico@valencia.es. M-Sa 09:30-19:00, Su and holidays 09:30-15:00. This medieval tower was part of the wall that surrounded the old city; the numerous pock-marks are from gun battles during the Spanish War of Independence from the French (1807-1814). Great views of the city can be had from the top. €2 (adults), €1 (concessions), free on Su and holidays. (updated Jan 2018)
• 15 Torres de Serrano (Porta de Serrans), Plaça dels Furs, s/n, ☏ +34 96 391 9070, patrimoniohistorico@valencia.es. M-Sa 09:30-19:00, Su and holidays 09:30-15:00. Built in 1392, this gate was also part of the ancient wall and for a time also served as a prison. The gate has been massively renovated and somewhat modernized, but is still interesting. It is across the street from the park. This tower also offers excellent views. €2 (adults), €1 (concessions), free on Su and holidays. (updated Jun 2015)
• 16 Almodí (Almudín), Plaça Sant Lluís Bertrán, s/n, ☏ +34 96 352 5478 x4521, patrimoniohistorico@valencia.es. M-Sa 09:30-14:00 15:00-19:00, Su and holidays 09:30-15:00. Constructed in the early 14th century on the site of a Moorish palace, the building is essentially Moorish in design and used to function as the municipal granary; its name is derived directly from 'almud' (Arabic: bushel). The building was fully restored in 1996 and is now a venue for temporary art exhibitions. €2 (adults), €1 (concessions), free on Su and holidays. (updated Jun 2015)

Banys de l'Almirall (Almirante Muslim Baths)

• 17 Banys de l'Almirall (Baños del Almirante / Almirante Muslim Baths), Baños del Almirante, 3-5, ☏ +34 963 152 024, didactica@consorciomuseos.es. Tu-Su 11:00-14:00. Although constructed in 1313 after the Christian reconquista, the bathhouse was built in the Arabic style and is considered to be an excellent example of Moorish architecture. It was used continuously as a bathhouse until the 20th century, and is one of the few remaining such structures in Spain. It was fully restored in 2005. €2 (adults), €1 (concessions). (updated Jul 2015)
• 18 Drassanes del Grau (Atarazanas del Grao / Royal Shipyards), Plaça Juan Antonio Benlliure, s/n, ☏ +34 96 352 5478 x4299. Tu-Sa 09:30-14:00 15:00-19:00, Su and holidays 09:30-15:00. These Gothic shipyards date to the early 14th century, and attained their current layout in 1500. Trade ships were built and repaired here, as well as galleys used for defense against Barbary pirates. Later the building was used as a storehouse for salt, and now functions as a venue for temporary exhibits. Due to the shifting coastline over the centuries, the shipyards are now two blocks inland from the shore. €2 (adults), €1 (concessions), free on Su and holidays. (updated Jul 2015)
• 19 Palau de Cervelló (Palacio de Cervelló / Cervelló Palace), Plaça de Tetuán, 3, ☏ +34 963 525 478 x4496, patrihco@valencia.es. Tu-Sa 10:00-14:00 16:30-20:30, Su and holidays 10:00-15:00. Built in the 18th century as the residence of the counts of Cervelló, this palace became the official residence for visiting royalty following the demolition of the Palau Reial de València. The building now houses a museum, the Municipal Archive, and the Serrano Morales Library. On the ground floor is an exhibit (in Catalan and Spanish) illustrating the historic events which took place here, and on the upper floor are the grand ballroom and Serrano Morales Library, with original murals and furnishings. €2 (adults), €1 (concessions), free on Su and holidays. (updated Aug 2015)
• 20 Casa de Sant Vicent Ferrer (Casa Natalicia de San Vicente Ferrer / Home of San Vicente Ferrer), Carrer del Pouet de Sant Vicent, 1, ☏ +34 963 528 481. M-F 11:00-13:00, 17:00-20:00. Sant Vicent Ferrer, the principal patron saint of Valencia, was born in this house in 1350. The house was renovated numerous times, and has a chapel, well, and 18th-century ceramic tile panels depicting the life of the saint. Free. (updated Nov 2015)
• 21 Torre de l'Àngel (Torre del Angel / Angel Tower), Plaça de l'Àngel (Carmen). One of the few vestiges from Valencia's Muslim period, the semicircular 11th-century tower was once part of the Muslim city wall. It is now a private dwelling, but can be viewed through a fence. (updated Jan 2017)

Other

Tribunal de les Aigües

La Dama Ibérica

• 22 Tribunal de les Aigües (Tribunal de las Aguas / Water Tribunal), In front of the cathedral's Puerta de los Apóstoles (SE corner of the Plaça de la Verge), ☏ +34 96 391 4445. Every Thursday at noon; it is best to get here no later than 11:30 to secure a good spot. The horta (Spanish: huerta), the fertile region surrounding Valencia, has relied on artificial irrigation since antiquity. The tribunal was developed to mediate disputes between farmers, and is believed to date back to Roman times; it has operated in its current form since the Moorish era. The court consists of nine representatives who meet in public and issue judgments on water rights and usage. Proceedings are conducted in Valencian and verdicts are issued orally. Although today the court is largely ceremonial, verdicts are considered legally binding by the highest court in Madrid and by the EU. In 2009 it was listed by UNESCO as an 'intangible cultural heritage'. Free. (updated Dec 2017)
• 23 Cementerio General de Valencia (Valencia General Cemetery), Carrer de Sant Doménec de Guzmán, 27, ☏ +34 963 773 061. M-Sa 09:00-18:00, Su and holidays 09:00-14:00; 23 Oct - 01 Nov: daily 09:00-18:00. In use since 1807, the cemetery has some interesting mausoleums and funerary sculpture and is the final resting place for a number of notable Valencians, including members of the artistic Benlliure family, painter Joaquín Sorolla, and writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. For visitors with a smartphone there is a helpful app (iOS and Android; Spanish and Valencian only) which describes walking routes and gives grave locations. Free. (updated Jan 2018)
• 24 Mirador Valencia (El Mirador del Ateneo Mercantil / Ateneo Viewpoint), Plaça de l'Ajuntament, 18 (entrance between Café Rialto and Café & Tapas), ☏ +34 963 520 488, mirador@ateneovalencia.es. Daily 10:00-20:30; last lift to the top at 20:00. The viewpoint is on the rooftop of a private social club, and offers excellent 360° panoramic views of the city. €3 (adults), €2.5 (seniors, disabled, children 11-16), free (children under 10). (updated Oct 2017)
• Street art. Valencia has become a magnet for street artists both homegrown and those hailing from abroad, many of them internationally-renowned. Works range in size from smaller stencils to giant murals, with the greatest concentration in el Carmen (Carme). There are also clusters of great art in Ruzafa, Benimaclet, Cabanyal, and other neighbourhoods. (updated Aug 2017)
• 25 La Dama Ibérica, intersection of Carrer de la Safor and Avinguda de las Cortes Valencianas (Campanar). The monumental sculpture dominating the roundabout was designed by internationally-renowned Valencian artist Manolo Valdés and completed in 2007. It was inspired by the Iberian sculpture Dama de Elche ('Lady of Elche'), which was discovered in Elche and now resides in Madrid's National Archaeological Museum. Valdés's version is an 18-m-high steel structure covered with 22,000 miniature replicas of the modern version, made of cobalt-blue ceramic by fellow Valencian artist Manuel Martin. (updated Jan 2018)