Valencia. City of Arts and Science
The third largest city in Spain is Valencia. The city is located at the mouth of the Turia River, where the ancient Greek colony of Turis was located. After the expulsion of the Moors from Valencia, the Spaniards began to build Christian churches and monasteries all along the coast. At the same time, in 1262, the Cathedral of Valencia was founded. It is one of the earliest Gothic cathedrals in Spain. Many works of great Spanish and Italian artists are collected here: Goya, Ribera, Nicola Florentino, etc. Some of them can be seen in the cathedral museum.
One of the largest museums in Spain – the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia has collected more than 2,000 works of Spanish art, such as paintings by El Greco, Murillo, Surbaran, Velasquez, Bosch, Van Dyck and other European masters. If you are interested in local customs and folklore, then you should pay attention to the fact that in every city and town of this region, the Patron Saint’s Day is celebrated annually, about which different fairs are arranged for each other, and where visitors are always sincerely welcome. Valencia is a paradise for tourists all year round: the average annual temperature here is +18, well, in January it sometimes drops to +12, but that’s why it’s January – you need to wear fur coats sometime, right?
Well-equipped beaches are located on the entire 500-kilometer coast of the province of Valencia. They are conditionally divided into zones of the Costa de Asaar (Orange Flavor Coast) in the north in the province of Castellon, where the largest resorts are Peniscola, Alcosebre, Oropesa, Benicasim; on the Costa de Valencia in the province of the same name, where the largest resorts are Sagunto, Balvarosa, Saler, Perellonet, Coolera, Gagua and Olive; on the Costa Blanca (White Coast) in the south – in the province of Alicante: there are resorts of Denia, Javea, Benidorm, Torrevieja (this is the place where visitors from Russia have already created their own small colony).
Recently, Valencia has been paying more and more attention to the tourism sector, trying to attract more customers from all parts of the world. In particular, the emphasis is on not being limited to the tourism of the sea and the sun, but to increase the opportunities for familiarization with culture, for practicing all kinds of sports. However, this is part of Spain’s overall strategy in the field of tourism development.
Valencia is located in the center of the vast fertile Huerta Valley, irrigated by the waters of Turkey and extending to the Mediterranean coast.
It is currently one of the largest cities in Spain with 800,000 inhabitants. Valencia is the administrative center of the province of the same name and the capital of the Valencian Community – one of the autonomous regions of Spain. The history of the city is lost in the depths of centuries, because already in the Bronze Age these places were inhabited. Over time, one civilization replaced another, and each left its mark. The city was founded by the Romans in 138 BC and named Valentia. Commerce and culture developed rapidly in the new colony, as it was crossed by the Via Sucronense trade route. The development of the city froze under the rule of the Visigoths, but with the arrival of Muslims in 718, Valencia began to grow rapidly. During the Cordova Caliphate, its population numbered 15,000 inhabitants. The era of the highest splendor falls on the XI century, when Valencia becomes the capital of the kingdom of the Moors.
In 1093, the city was conquered by the Cid, but the reign of this hero was short-lived. Nine years later, the city was again in the hands of the Arabs. The final return of the city to the Christian fold took place in 1238 under King James I. Although Muslim rule spans five centuries, there are almost no traces of it. Nevertheless, it was then that a land irrigation system was created in the valley, and the famous meetings of the Water Tribunal began to be held, which monitored the order of water distribution. On the other hand, the religious tolerance that existed during the period of Muslim rule remained after the conquest of the city by Christians. It was only in 1609 that a decree was issued on the expulsion of the Moriscos. As a result, the country was plunged into a deep economic crisis, since at that time Arabs made up a third of the population. On October 9, 1228, King James I entered the city. Currently, this date is celebrated as the Day of Valencia.
The city became the capital of the Kingdom of Valencia and, among other states, submitted to the Aragonese crown. He was granted a special charter “Los Fors”. Since then, Valencia has been steadily developing, but the golden age for it came in the XVI century. At that time, it was one of the most powerful powers on the Mediterranean Sea with a developed economy and culture that spread far beyond the borders of the country. Such names as Ausias March, Joinot Marturel, the Borgia family become famous. By the XI century . the old city walls were expanded and strengthened.At the same time, magnificent buildings were built: the stock exchange, the palace of the City Assembly, as well as the cathedral. During the War of the Spanish Succession, Valencia took the side of Archbishop Charles of Austria. As a result, after the Bourbon victory in the Battle of Almansa in 1707, the city lost its charter. In the 19th century, the revival of cultural and economic activity, especially the trade in citrus fruits and rice, contributed to the great transformations of the city.
In 1865, the defensive wall was demolished, and the city went beyond it. In order to avoid frequent and destructive floods of the Turia River, its course was changed, the last flood occurred in 1957. Gardens were laid out on an area of more than a million square meters of the old riverbed. Many entertainment and cultural institutions have also been built on this territory. Among them, the Palace of Music, the City of Art and Science are all modern buildings. Thanks to the new urban space, wide opportunities for cultural recreation, the historical center, beaches, local cuisine and a beneficial climate, Valencia has become a major center of tourism. Valencia has a reputation for being a joyful, open and hospitable city, largely, of course, due to its climate. Valencians prefer to stay out of the house, walk in parks, sunbathe on the beach or watch the sunset at Lake Albufera. Fallas, the July fair and numerous other holidays will allow us to get to know the city in all its splendor better!
Valencia