Valencia can be a city of clichés: the light, the moon, the gun-powder, the paella, the flowers, the fallas... they are keys which attempt to explain what words cannot tell. It is necessary to visit and get to know Valencia to verify that centenary traditions live together with modernity; that sea and city are compatible; that the green colour of farms can be kept together with a modern urban scheme; that Valencia is unique at night and during the day. But the capital of the river Turia is more than that. In addition to the innumerable attractions which the city has had for years, now there is a series of showy infrastructures such as the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) and the Museo Príncipe Felipe (Prince Philip Museum) which, as they are located in this environment, are linked to culture. Valencia has put the icing on the cake, although it will not have a rest and will go on decorating its succulent presentation.
A little of History
Founded by the Romans, Valencia has been the home of many cultures over its history: Romans, Visigoths, Moors and the Aragonese all made the city an important cultural and financial centre.In the year 1094, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called El Cid Campeador, conquered Valencia on behalf of the Christians, but the city later fell to the Almoravids in 1102. Following the Moorish domination, it was in 1238 that James I of Aragon finally reconquered the city, and founded the Kingdom of Valencia, with its characteristic legislative privileges (Furs).
During the 15th and 16th centuries, Valencia became one of the major economic powers on the Mediterranean seaboard. It was the time of the Valencian siglo de oro (Golden Age), which was characterized by splendour in the arts at the hands of Joanot Martorell (author of Tirant lo Blanc, the first modern European novel), Ausias March, Roig de Corella, Isabel de Villena, Jordi de Sant Jordi and Jaume Roig, among others.
During the War of Spanish Succession, Valencia sided with archduke Charles of Austria, and after the victory of the Bourbons at the Battle of Almansa (April 1707), Phillip V abolished the local privileges, or fueros. In 1874, Alfonso XII was proclaimed constitutional king at Sagunto, north of Valencia.
When democracy was restored, the Land of Valencia was given its present Autonomous Statutes in 1982. The history of the city, now the capital of the Land of Valencia, is both rich and varied, providing a patrimony that has converted it into one of the major cities in Spain on both cultural and economic levels.
Valencia in numbers
-
Geographical location of the port of Valencia: 39º26'N 0º18'W
-
Population: 800,000 inhabitants
-
Average temperature: 17º
-
Sunny days: 90% of the year
-
A tourist destination: More than 1 million visitors and 2 million overnight stays in 2004.
-
A historical and cultural city: 42 museums, 12 theatres, 13 art galleries and an impressive cultural and artistic heritage including the Silk Exchange, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.
-
Natural Heritage: Long, clean, fine sandy beaches with Blue Flags, the Albufera Nature Reserve with its unique landscape and ecological value; large, emblematic urban parks, including the 7 km long Turia Park.
-
An innovative city: Fibre optics in all areas of the city. The majority of the region’s technological institutes are located within or near the city.
-
City of business and conferences: Emblematic installations on an international scale like the Valencia Trade Fair and the Conference Centre.
|