Valencia Its Culture, History and Heritage
Valencia Its Culture, History and Heritage
Valencia Its Culture, History and Heritage
Valencia Its Culture, History and Heritage
Valencia Its Culture, History and Heritage
Valencia Its Culture, History and Heritage
Valencia Its Culture, History and Heritage
Valencia Its Culture, History and Heritage
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Founded by the Romans in 137BC as a military outpost on the Mediterranean, Valencia has seen conquering empires come and go during its turbulent history, leaving behind diverse architectural and cultural remnants still visible today. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Visigoths were the first to take advantage of its harbour and strategic position, followed by Ottoman Arabs and Berbers in the 8th century.
After converting the cathedral and other religious buildings to mosques, the Moors were soon presiding over a prosperous port city, trading in silk, ceramics, silverwork, glass, leather and paper. Architectural glories from around this time include the Banos del Almirante bath house, the remnants of the ancient walls with their great gates and towers and the entire Portal de Valldigna Street.
By the late 10th century, however, Muslim al Andalus had broken into small states, leaving Valencia open to other warlike rulers, including El Cid, who held the city throughout the course of five years, reconverting the mosques to Christian worship. The 12th century saw incessant warfare between various armies including Moorish factions, culminating in a mixed bag of crusaders and Iberians taking over and expelling all Moors in 1238.
By the time the 15th century came around, Valencia, now expert in rising from the ashes, was re-established as a major and extremely wealthy Mediterranean trade hub, and became the first Iberian city to have a printing press. The famous Valencia Bible, printed in a Romance language, is attributed to Bonifaci Ferrer's Valencia print shop. Sadly, by the 18th century, conflict erupted again with invasions in quick succession by the English, followed later by the French. To make matters worse, the Spanish Inquisition were active here until around 1826.
Valencia's chequered past does much to explain its present-day cultural diversity, overlaid in all its aspects by the religions and cultures of its many conquerors. The most visible aspects here are the festivals, especially the world-famous Las Fallas, and the traditional ceramics and painted tiles still made with love by local manufacturers and craftsmen alike, a modern version of the glorious Islamic tiles created during the Moorish occupation. The Museum of Ceramics gives a journey of discovery on the subject and is close to many Valencia hotels.
The Fallas Festival, held annually in mid-March and drawing many thousands of visitors, is notable for the stunning traditional costumes worn by every Valencian during the days of celebration of the city's unique culture and traditions. The festival, featuring massive, complicated papier-mache images unique to Valencia, dates back to the Middle Ages with its form basically unchanged. The humorous caricatures of the Fallas sculptures tell of their individual communities and of the city itself.
Valencia's unique cuisine, heavily dependent on rice and ultra-fresh seafood, was born of the fertile plains suitable for growing rice and the rich harvests from the ocean. Paella, perhaps the most famous Spanish dish, began here, with the Moors introducing the irrigation systems which made large-scale rice cultivation possible. Local cuisine is regional, with meat and game dishes more common inland and seafoods on the coast. Sauces are used everywhere, made with olive oil, lots of garlic and paprika, delicious with the local fishy favourite, eel.
The mysterious and seductive gypsy dance form of Flamenco has its home in Valencia. A passion for Andalusian people for over 500 years, it's a culture in itself, mostly misunderstood by the rest of the world. True flamenco, its duende (spirit) and its song form Cante Jonge was born in tiny villages, with many aficionados convinced the ancient art form is being murdered by tourist performances across Spain. One thing is certain, that Moorish influences both musical and in the dance were part of the birth of this exotic tradition.
After converting the cathedral and other religious buildings to mosques, the Moors were soon presiding over a prosperous port city, trading in silk, ceramics, silverwork, glass, leather and paper. Architectural glories from around this time include the Banos del Almirante bath house, the remnants of the ancient walls with their great gates and towers and the entire Portal de Valldigna Street.
By the late 10th century, however, Muslim al Andalus had broken into small states, leaving Valencia open to other warlike rulers, including El Cid, who held the city throughout the course of five years, reconverting the mosques to Christian worship. The 12th century saw incessant warfare between various armies including Moorish factions, culminating in a mixed bag of crusaders and Iberians taking over and expelling all Moors in 1238.
By the time the 15th century came around, Valencia, now expert in rising from the ashes, was re-established as a major and extremely wealthy Mediterranean trade hub, and became the first Iberian city to have a printing press. The famous Valencia Bible, printed in a Romance language, is attributed to Bonifaci Ferrer's Valencia print shop. Sadly, by the 18th century, conflict erupted again with invasions in quick succession by the English, followed later by the French. To make matters worse, the Spanish Inquisition were active here until around 1826.
Valencia's chequered past does much to explain its present-day cultural diversity, overlaid in all its aspects by the religions and cultures of its many conquerors. The most visible aspects here are the festivals, especially the world-famous Las Fallas, and the traditional ceramics and painted tiles still made with love by local manufacturers and craftsmen alike, a modern version of the glorious Islamic tiles created during the Moorish occupation. The Museum of Ceramics gives a journey of discovery on the subject and is close to many Valencia hotels.
The Fallas Festival, held annually in mid-March and drawing many thousands of visitors, is notable for the stunning traditional costumes worn by every Valencian during the days of celebration of the city's unique culture and traditions. The festival, featuring massive, complicated papier-mache images unique to Valencia, dates back to the Middle Ages with its form basically unchanged. The humorous caricatures of the Fallas sculptures tell of their individual communities and of the city itself.
Valencia's unique cuisine, heavily dependent on rice and ultra-fresh seafood, was born of the fertile plains suitable for growing rice and the rich harvests from the ocean. Paella, perhaps the most famous Spanish dish, began here, with the Moors introducing the irrigation systems which made large-scale rice cultivation possible. Local cuisine is regional, with meat and game dishes more common inland and seafoods on the coast. Sauces are used everywhere, made with olive oil, lots of garlic and paprika, delicious with the local fishy favourite, eel.
The mysterious and seductive gypsy dance form of Flamenco has its home in Valencia. A passion for Andalusian people for over 500 years, it's a culture in itself, mostly misunderstood by the rest of the world. True flamenco, its duende (spirit) and its song form Cante Jonge was born in tiny villages, with many aficionados convinced the ancient art form is being murdered by tourist performances across Spain. One thing is certain, that Moorish influences both musical and in the dance were part of the birth of this exotic tradition.
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