Valencia's old part of town is limited by the rails of the tramway, which
run where have been the old town-walls until 1865. Most monuments date to
the time after the reconquest of Valencia from the Moors, in 1238 by Jaime
I.. That was the town's most blooming epoch.
The Cathedral is mainly of early gothic style, though some parts of it
were added in later eras. Its three portals are Romanesque, gothic and
baroque , respectively. The main chapel, Capilla Mayor, is in baroque
style, the two lateral chapels are neoclassic.
The octagonal bell-tower, called Micalet or also Miguelete , is the
landmark of the city. From there you have a great view over all Valencia,
and Victor Hugo has counted 300 more bell-towers in all the city (to
control if this number is right could be a challenge to patient and
unstressed visitors ...??)
In the Capitulary you can see the Holy Chalice, of which Jesus Christ and
the Apostles are said to have drunk during the Last Supper.
In the Cathedral's Museum are exposed works of Goya, Jacomart, Cellini,
Paggibonsi as well as paintings of valencian school of 15th to 17th
century.
Close to the catherdral there is the Basílica de la Virgen de los
Desamparados, ("Mare de Deu dels Desemparats") , a church consecrated to
the patroness of the city, and the Almudín, a medieval granary that is
nowadays used as a museum. In the closeby church Iglesia de San Esteban
are said to have been married the daughters of legendary Cid.
Some more interesting buildings in this area of town are the Palace of
Almirantes de Aragón, the church San Juan del Hospital and the Convento de
Santo Domingo.
The River
Well worth seeing are the three old bridges, Puente del Real, Puente de la
Trinidad and Puente de Serranos, the latter with the Torres de Serranos ,
15th century towers that have been part of the old town-walls and combine
the elegance of a triumphal arch with the solidity of fortifications.
The river Turia actually was deviated around the city after a catastrophal
inundation in 1957. The old river-bed today is used by the population for
all kinds of sports and leisure-time activities.
The IVAM (Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno), located at the river-bed,
is one of the leading museums of modern arts in Spain and so a must to
visit for everybody interested in this subject.
La
Lonja and Surroundings
At Plaza de Manises is located the Palacio de la Generalidad, a 15th
century palace that today is used as seat of government. Of high interest
are the wall-paintings in its Salon de las Cortes, Salón Dorado and
Galería de Retratos de los Reyes de Valencia.
Through the street Calle de Los Caballeros you arrive to the town-gate
Torres de Quart, of 1441, and to Plaza del Mercado, the square where is
located Valencia's probably best known monument, La Lonja , the old stock-exchange
building of 1483.
At its side there are the baroque church Iglesia de los Santos Juanes,
with important wall-paintings of Palomino, and the bell-tower Campanil de
la Iglesia de Santa Catalina .
Through Calle Torno you arrive to the Palace of the Marquis de Dos Aguas,
in rococo-style and with a very highly individual portal designed by
Hipólito Rovira. The Patriarca College, of 1603, is typical for the
austere ambience of religious Renaissance buildings in Spain. Valencia's
University and its extraordinary Law Court are of neoclassical style.
Another monument of quite recent date is the bridge Nuevo Puente of 1995,
nicknamed La Peineta, "side-comb", due to its form.
Barrio del Carmen
This district represents like no one Valencia's way of living, if you
don't know it you don't know the city. Here you'll find numerous shops,
café-theaters, bars, restaurants, flower-stands, ... it is the center of
everyday life and a unique scenery for the visitor.
El
Ensanche
A walk through this more modern part of town, inhabited mainly by
bourgeoisie and officials, may give you an impression of today's Valencia.
The Gardens
"Valencia es la tierra de las flores..", "Valencia is the land of flowers",
says an old folk-song, and the parks and gardens of the city demonstrate
it in an impressive way. The Jardines de la Alameda and Jardines de
Monforte are romantic parks of 18th century. "Real" Gardens , which
include also the Zoological Garden, have beautiful cultures of roses and
large pine-woods. Inside them you can find the ruins of an old king's
palace. The Botanical Garden shows a variety of exotic plants.
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The
Old Town 
La
Lonja and Surroundings 
El
Ensanche 
