Valencia Information
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 ( 9Kb ) 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.
Of historical interest yet cosmopolitan, the city has grown and
adapted to the times, conserving its rich heritage while becoming
a leading economic and financial centre in present day Spain.
Bathed in Mediterranean sun, giving warmth and that special kind
of light that Sorolla immortalized on canvas, it is by no means
strange that the poet in the Cantar del Mio Cid spoke of the "luminous
city of Valencia".
You'll be pleasantly surprised by the City itself and the warm,
inviting character of its inhabitants. We ask you to discover
it for yourself and enjoy the the extensive range of activities
that await you.
Valencia guide
Holiday Planning
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