Valencia
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Valencia Golf
Map of Valencia
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How to Get to Valencia
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Valencia Hotels
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Valencia Facts and Statistics
Valencia Football Club
Theatres in Valencia
For Sky TV in Valencia and the surrounding areas contact The Sat and PC Guy
Valencia Tourist Information
Valencia is the capital of the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia and its province. It is the third largest city in Spain and the 21st largest in the European Union. It forms part of an industrial area on the Costa del Azahar. The estimated population of the city of Valencia proper was 797,654 as of 2007 official statistics. Population of the metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,738,690 as of 2007.
Valencia History
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. The Moors occupied the territory peacefully in 714 A.D. When Islamic culture settled in, Valencia – then Balansiya – prospered thanks to a booming trade in paper, silk, leather,
ceramics, glass and silver-work. The architectural legacy from this period is abundant in Valencia and can still be appreciated today in the remains of the old walls, the Baños del Almirante bath house, Portal de Valldigna street and even the Cathedral and the tower, El Micalet, which was the minaret of the old mosque.
The Christians set fire to it, abandoned it, and the Almoravid Masdali took possession of it on 5 May 1109. The Almoravid and the Almohad dynasty would rule Valencia for more than a century. In 1238 King James I of Aragon the Conqueror, with an army composed of French, English, Germans, and Italians, laid siege to Valencia, and on 28 September in that same year forced a surrender. 50,000 Moors were forced to leave.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Valencia was one of the major cities in the Mediterranean.
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.
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 the English army evacuated Valencia and the city subsequently lost its privileges including important civil rights called furs by the way the Bourbons decided to burn important cities like Xativa, where actually is still the picture of the Spanish Bourbon turned back as protest.
During the Spanish Civil War, the capital of the Republic was moved to Valencia, and the city suffered from the blockade and siege by Francos forces. However, 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 5metres (16ft) 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 7km (4mi) park which bisects the city. Valencia was granted Autonomous Statutes in 1982.
Valencia Promotional Videos
Americas Cup in Valencia
Valencia was selected in 2003 to host the historic Americas Cup yacht race becoming the first European city to do so. The Americas Cup matches took place in summer 2007. Alinghi defeated Team New Zealand, and successfully defended the Americas Cup. It has been officially announced that Valencia would be the host city for the 33rd Americas Cup, to be carried out on June 2009.
Fiestas in Valencia
Valencia is known for Las Fallas, which is a famous local festival held in March.
La Tomatina, an annual tomato fight, draws crowds to the nearby town of Buñol in August.
There are also a number of Catholic fiestas throughout the year. Holy week celebrations in Valencia are considered the most colourful in Spain.
Places to visit / Sightseeing in Valencia
Another ‘not to be missed’ permanent attraction is the architecture which houses the now complete City of the Arts and Sciences. There are four main buildings:
Oceanographic - with over 45,000 samples of 500 different species of underwater life including a special tank with sharks which you can walk under.
Museum of the Sciences Prince Philip- where you can participate in all kinds of experiments and learn a lot more about biology and genetics.
The Hemispheric- where you can sit back, choose and enjoy any of the three audio-visual shows, either at the Planetarium, the Laserium or on the gigantic screen watching documentaries where you feel you are an active part.
The Queen Sophia Palace of Arts – this was just opened in October 2005 with the presence of the Queen. Here, all visitors will be honoured with performing arts in theatre, opera and all kinds of dance exhibitions.
Valencia Biopark
If you are planning to travel to Valencia for whatever holiday at the end of next year, you will find yourself with the new Valencia Zoo or BioPark situated in a new green area and housing among other animals, over 250 species from the African savannah. Its to be 14 times bigger
than the existing one and will take approximately six hours to see it all, but do not worry because the weather in Valencia is sunny and mild in winter. The young and old will be able to enjoy seeing the natural habitats of all these different animals that one usually cannot contemplate unless you actually travel there.
Map of Valencia
Weather Forecast for Valencia
For UK Satellite TV in Valencia and Sky TV in Valencia see "The Sat and PC Guy - Satellite TV Installations".
The Sat and PC Guy installs and maintains Digital Satellite Television Systems, for reception of UK Freesat TV and Sky TV channels such as BBC and ITV. We install dishes, from 80cm to 2.4m satellite dishes, and satellite receivers / decoders / digiboxes. We install Digital Terrestrial Television, TDT, Spain Freeview.
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