Valencia (city)

Economy

Valencia has enjoyed strong economic growth over the last decade, much of it spurred by tourism and construction industries.

Valencia's port is one of the busiest on the Mediterranean coast and handles 20% of Spain's exports. The main exports are food and drink (the Valencian region is famous for its oranges), furniture, ceramic tiles, fans, textiles and iron products. Valencia's manufacturing sector focuses on metallurgy, chemicals, textiles, shipbuilding and brewing. Unemployment is lower than the Spanish average. Small and medium sized industries are an important part of the local economy. (See Travel and Tourism in Valencia.)

The city of Valencia and the surrounding area are expected to attract millions of visitors from around the world given that the city of Valencia has been chosen to host the 32nd America's Cup. The first America's Cup competitions took place in June and July 2005 and were key attractions during the summer of 2005. According to official data from the organizing committee, as many as 150,000 visitors flocked to Valencia's port each day during the two-week events.

Criticisms of the Valencian model of economic growth

* Focusing on tourism and construction has led to a great deal of building on rural land. The Valencia government's implementation of the LRAU [law regulating urban activity] has been controversial since it involves the expropriation of the homes of both Spanish nationals and foreign residents without compensation. Critics argue that this legislation (which was theoretically designed to protect rural land) is being misused for large urban and industrial developments. The European Union's Committee of Petitions reported on the issue in 2004, finding that the Valencian government was breaching basic European rights.
* Valencian citizens in the Cabanyal, Malvarosa, and Canyamelar districts claim that the America's Cup is being used as a pretext to fuel property speculation and to demolish historical buildings saved in the past by demonstrations and court rulings. However, the Supreme Court has deemed the action of the local government as legal.

Culture

Children marching to school in Valencia

It is famous for the Las Fallas festival in March, for paella valenciana and the new City of Arts and Sciences. La Tomatina, an annual tomato fight, draws crowds to the nearby town of Buñol in August. Valencia has a metro system [1], run by FGV. Valencia has a successful football club, Valencia C.F., which won the Spanish league in 2002 and 2004 (in which year it also won the UEFA Cup), and was UEFA Champions League Finalist in 2000 and 2001.

The two official languages spoken in the city are Spanish and Valencian. Due to political and demographic pressure in the past, the predominant language is Spanish, as opposed to areas surrounding the metropolitan area in the province of Valencia. The local government makes sure it emphasizes the use of the local language. For instance, all signs and announcements in the Metro are in Valencian, with Spanish translations underneath in smaller type. In relation to street naming policy, new street signs when erected are always given the Valencian name for street (Carrer) however the older street names bearing the Spanish names are only replaced when necessary. This results in a situation where in longer streets both languages can often be seen on street signs.

Valencia is famous for its vibrant nightlife. In the 1980s and 1990s clubbers would follow the "ruta de bacalao" from Madrid to Valencia. Today, bars and nightclubs are concentrated in the Carmen and university areas. As is normal for Spain, nightlife does not take off until well after midnight.

Museums

Museums in Valencia include:
* Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (arts and science)
* Instituto Valenciano De Arte Moderno (IVAM, modern art)
* Museo De Bellas Artes (fine art)
* Museo de Prehistoria de Valencia
* Museo Fallero & Museo Del Artista Fallero (Les Falles)
* Museo Taurino (bullfighting)
* Museo Del Arroz (rice)
* Museo Valenciano de la ilustración y la Modernidad (MUVIM, various exhibits)
* Almudín (various exhibits, mainly art and archaeology)

History

Pavement of a Valencia street, with arbour. Many ordinary places in the city are designed with attention to detail, and a sense of aesthetics

The city of Valencia, originally named Valentia, is in the region known in ancient days as Edetania. The Roman historian Florus says that Junius Brutus, the conqueror of Viriathus, transferred thither (140 B.C.) the soldiers who had fought under the latter. Later it was a Roman military colony. In punishment for its adherence to Sertorius it was destroyed by Pompey, but was later rebuilt, and Pomponius Mela says that it was one of the principal cities of Hispania Tarraconensis province. The city was founded by the Romans in 137 BC on the site of a former Iberian town, by the river Turia.

The city has been occupied by the Visigoths, Moors and the Aragonese.

Abdelazid, son of Muzza, took the city and, breaking the terms of surrender, pillaged it. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid), 'the Cid' reconquered Valencia for the first time on 15 June, 1094, turned nine mosques into churches, and installed as bishop the French monk Jérôme (this victory was immortalised in the Lay of the Cid). On the death of the Cid (July, 1099), his wife, Doña Ximena, retained power for two years, when Valencia was besieged by the Almoravids, and the city returned to the Almoravids in 1102. Although the 'Emperor of Spain' Alfonso drove them from the city, he was not strong enough to hold it. The Christians set fire to it, abandoned it, and the Almoravid Masdali took possession of it on 5 May, 1109. Jaime the Conqueror, with an army composed of French, English, Germans, and Italians, laid siege to Valencia, and on 28 September 1238 forced a surrender. 50,000 Moors left the city and on 9 October the king, followed by his retinue and army, took possession. The principal mosque was purified, Mass was celebrated, and the "Te Deum" sung. King James I of Aragon reconquered the city in 1238 and incorporated it to the new formed Kingdom of Valencia, one of the kingdoms forming the Crown of Aragon.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Valencia was one of the major cities in the Mediterranean. The writer Joanot Martorell, author of Tirant lo Blanch, and the poet Ausias March are famous Valencians of that era.

The first printing press in the Iberian Peninsula was located in Valencia. The first printed Bible in a Romance language, Valencian, was printed in Valencia circa 1478, attributed to Bonifaci Ferrer.

Valencian bankers loaned funds to Queen Isabella for Columbus' trip in 1492.

A narrow street of the Old Medieval City.

War of the Germanies 1519–1522.

Expulsion of Moriscos in 1609.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, Valencia sided with Charles of Austria. On 24 January 1706, Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough, 1st Earl of Monmouth, led a handful of English cavalrymen into the city after riding south from Barcelona, capturing the nearby fortress at Sagunto, and bluffing the Spanish Bourbon army into withdrawal.

The English held the city for 16 months and defeated several attempts to expel them. English soldiers advanced as far as Requena on the road to Madrid.

After the victory of the Bourbons at the Battle of Almansa (25 April 1707), the English army evacuated Valencia and the city subsequently lost its privileges or furs.

During the Peninsular War Valencia was besieged by the French under Marshal Suchet from Christmas day 1811, until it fell on January 8th the next year.

During the Spanish Civil War, the capital of the Republic was moved to Valencia. The city suffered from the blockade and siege by Franco's forces. The postwar period was hard for Valencians. During the Franco years, speaking or teaching Valencian was prohibited (in a significant reversal it is now compulsory for every child studying in Valencia). In 1957 the city suffered a severe flood by the Turia River, with 2 meters in some streets. One consequence of this was that a decision was made to drain and reroute the river and it now passes around the Western and southern suburbs of the city. A plan to turn the drained area into a motorway was dropped in favour of a picturesque 7 km park which bisects the city.

Valencia was granted Autonomous Statutes in 1982.

Valencia was selected in 2003 to be the first city in continental Europe ever to host the historic America's Cup regatta, to take place in 2007.

On 3 July 2006, just days before a Catholic celebration to be led by Pope Benedict, Valencia was the scene of a subway accident in which over 40 people died. The investigationis still ongoing.

On 9 July 2006, during mass at Valencia's Cathedral, Our Lady of the Forsaken Basilica, Pope Benedict used, during mass at the World Day of Families, the Santo Caliz, a 1st-century Middle-Eastern artifact believed by many to be the Holy Grail. It was supposedly brought to that church by Emperor Valerian in the 3rd century, after having been brought from Jerusalem by St. Peter to Rome. The Santo Caliz ("Holy Chalice") is a simple, small stone cup. Its base was added in medieval times and consists of fine gold, alabaster, and gem stones [2]

Ecclesiastical history

The archdiocese of Valencia comprises the civil provinces of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón.

Nothing is positively known about the introduction of Christianity into Valencia, but at the beginning of the fourth century when Dacianus brought the martyrs St. Valerius, bishop of Saragossa, and his deacon, St. Vincent of Huesca, to Valencia, the Christians seem to have been numerous. St. Vincent suffered martyrdom at Valencia; the faithful obtained possession of his remains, built a temple over the spot on which he died, and there invoked his intercession. It is said that at the time of the Moorish invasion the people of Valencia placed the saints body in a boat and tat the boat landed on the cape which is now called San Vincente. The King of Portugal, Alfonso Enriquez, found the body and transferred it to Lisbon.

The first historically known Bishop of Valencia is Justinianus (531-46), mentioned by St. Isidore in his "Viri illustres". Justinianus wrote "Responsiones", a series of replies to a certain Rusticus. Bishops of Valencia assisted at the various councils of Toledo. Witisclus, present at the Fourteenth Council of Toledo, was the last bishop before the Mohammedan invasion.

Abdelazid, son of Muzza, took the city and, breaking the terms of surrender, pillaged it; he turned the churches into mosques, leaving only one to the Christians. This was without doubt the present Church of San Bartolomé or that of San Vincente de la Roqueta.

Valencia was in the power of the Moors for more than five centuries, see city history. After the final Moorish defeat in 1238, the episcopal see was re-established, ten parishes being formed in the city; the Knights Templar and Hospitallers who had helped in the conquest, also Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Mercedarians, and Cistercians, opened houses. The Church of San Vincente outside the walls was rebuilt and beside it a hospital.

The consecration of the Dominican Berenguer de Castellbisbal, bishop-elect of the see of Valencia after the reconquest, was prevented because of the dispute between the Archbishops of Toledo and Tarragona for jurisdiction over the new see. Pope Gregory IX decided in favour of Tarragona, and, as Berenguer had been appointed Bishop of Gerona in the meantime, Ferrer de San Martín, provost of Tarragona (1239-43), was appointed Bishop of Valencia. He was succeeded by an Aragónese, Arnau de Peralta (1243-48) who drove the Bishop of Segovia, Pedro Garcés, from his see. The third Bishop of Valencia, the Dominican Andrés Albalat (1248-76), founder of the Carthusian monastery, began the construction of the cathedral; this was continued and finished by his successors: Gasperto de Botonach, Abbot of San Felin (1276-88); the Aragónese Dominican, Raimundo de Pont (1288-1312); the Catalonian Raimundo Gastón (1312-48); Hugo de Fenolet, formerly Bishop of Vich (1348-56); and Vidal de Blanes (1356-69. Jaime de Aragón, Bishop of Tortosa and first cousin of Pedro IV, succeeded to the see in 1369.

Hitherto the chapter had elected the bishops, but owing to the dissensions at the death of Bishop Blanes, pope Urban IV reserved the right to name the bishops until 1523, when the right of presentation was granted to the Spanish kings. At the death of Jaime (1396), the antipope Benedict XIII kept the see vacant for more than two years, and then appointed Hugo de Lupia, Bishop of Tortosa (1398-1427). He was succeeded by Alfonso de Borja (Calixtus III). The latter appointed Rodrigo de Borja (Alexander VI) to the see of Valencia; Rodrigo obtained from Innocent VIII the rank of metropolitan for his see (1492) and, after he was raised to the papacy, confirmed this decree. He also raised the studium generale of Valencia to the rank of a university, conferring upon it all the privileges possessed by other universities. Cesar Borgia bore the title of Archbishop of Valencia, and was succeeded by Juan de Borja y Llansol, Pedro Luis de Borja, and Alfonso de Aragón, illegitimate son of Ferdinand the Catholic and also Archbishop of Saragossa (1512-20).

The episcopate of the Augustinian St. Thomas of Villanova (1544-55), founder of the Colegio de la Presentación de Nuestra Señora, called also de Santo Tomás, was one of the most notable in the history of Valencia. St. Thomas was beatified in 1619 by pope Paul V, and canonized in 1658 by Alexander VII. His successors, Francisco de Navarra and Martín de Ayala, who attended the Council of Trent, were also men of distinction. Perhaps the most noted of all the archbishops of Valencia was the Patriarch Juan de Ribera (1569-1611). He decided to expel the Moors from the city, after exhausted all possible means to bring them to submission. He founded the Colegio de Corpus Christi and furthered the work of monastic reform, especially among the Capuchins, whom he had brought to Valencia. Many holy men shed lustre upon this era, including St. Louis Bertram, the Franciscan Nicolás Factor, the Carmelite Francisco de Niño Jesús, and the Minim Gaspar Bono. The archbishop and inquisitor general, Juan Tomás Rocaberti, publicly punished the Governor of Valencia for interfering in ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Andrés Mayoral (1738-69) improved the system of charities and public instruction, founded the Colegio de las Escuelas Pías, and the Casa de Ensenanza for girls. He collected a library of 12,000 volumes; this was burnt in the war of independence. The See of Valencia has had cardinals, Barrio y Fernández and Monescillo y Sancho.

The seminary was built in 1831; from 1790 it was situated at the former house of studies of the Jesuits. Since the Concordat of 1851 it ranked as a central seminary with the faculty of conferring academic degrees. There have been in Valencia, since very remote times, schools founded by the bishops and directed by ecclesiastics. In 1412 a studium generale with special statutes was established. Pope Alexander VI raised it to the rank of a university on 23 January, 1500. King Ferdinand the Catholic confirmed this two years later. In 1830 the building was reconstructed; a statue of Luis Vives adorns the corridor. Among the hospitals and charitable institutions may be mentioned: the Casa de Misericordia; the Provincial hospital; the orphan asylum of San Vicente; and the Infant Asylum of the Marqués de Campo. In Gandia there was a university, and the palace of St. Francis Borgia, later the novitiate of the Society of Jesus, is preserved.

Gallery

Image:VALENCIA ES Lonja inside.jpg|The Lonja de la SedaImage:Catedral valencia.jpg|The Cathedral of ValenciaImage:Valencia ES L Hemisferic BIG.jpg|L'Hemisfèric, a 3-D CinemaImage:Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències - L'Umbracle.jpg|WalkwayImage:Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències - El Museu.jpg|MuseumImage:Falla egipcia plorant.jpg|A fallaImage:Paella callejera.jpg|A paella cooked in the street

Valencia (city): Encyclopedia BETA

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