Wednesday 26 Oct: Valencia city tour
On Wednesday morning, I took part in a city walk organised by the organisation 'Guruwalk'. The guide was a playful guy who debated an arsenal of funny anecdotes. Unfortunately, I did not catch all of them because he sometimes spoke very fast Spanish.
For example, he was able to tell that every Thursday punctually at noon in front of the cathedral's Gothic gate on the Plaza La Virgen the 'Tribunal de las Aguas' (Water Tribunal) takes place. By the way, that Plaza Virgen was the Forum Romanum, the main square in the city, in Roman times. The Tribunal de Aguas is a peasant tribunal that settles all local water and agricultural disputes. In the Valencia area, there are eight large uncovered irrigation canals or 'acequias', a term that originated during the Moorish period (711 to 1238). Each acequia has a representative in the Tribunal to defend their interests. One of these is the acequia de Mestalla, after which Valencia's football stadium was named (la Mestalla).
The rulings of the Tribunal de las Aguas are legally valid, but a 'convict' can appeal a verdict to the normal court. This tribunal has existed since the 10th century. Talk about a tradition! In 2009, it was granted the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The octagonal bell tower 'Miguelete' which stands next to the cathedral's main entrance has a circumference of 51 metres and it is also exactly 51 metres high
Next to the cathedral is the basilica of the Mother of God of the Outcasts. When a second pandemic broke out in the 17th century - after the plague in the 14th century, when a first passerelle was built between the bishop's palace and the cathedral - a covered passerelle was also added between the cathedral and the basilica.
Behind the corner is Palau Borja (15th century), the cutting of the renowned Borgia family. The latter produced two popes: Calixtus III and Alexander VI. The latter fathered several children with his mistress, but he claimed they were his cousins.
Currently, the building houses the Valencian Parliament.
The 'Torres Serranos' (14th century) is the main city gate. Originally there were eight gates in the ramparts, but only two of them survived because they were also used as prisons for men and women respectively.
When Valencia experienced a large increase in population, people started building outside the city walls. At the end of the 19th century, it was decided that the walls and gates no longer served any defensive purpose and they were demolished. This did not take into account that the ramparts protected the old city from floods from the Turia, the river that flowed around the old core and sometimes overflowed its banks.
After a major flood in 1957, the bed of the Turia was shifted and in the 1970s the current Turia Park was built in the old bed.
La Lonja (late 15th century), also known as 'silk exchange', is a civic-gothic building. These are quite exceptional. Besides silk, fish and orange apples were traded there. After a disease of silkworms, the region switched to growing citrus fruit.
The contract room is a beautiful, 17-metre-high hall that is towered by eight 'palm columns'.
The sea consulate in the Lonja has a very lavishly sculpted ceiling that was brought over from the former town hall. A film was made about it, which is played on site. The building was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Opposite the Lonja is the Mercado Central, a building with 14 sides to maximise its usable area among the already existing buildings.
A little further on, the guide led us to the narrowest house in europe, on the Placa de Lope de Vega. The gable is 107 cm wide. Taxes at the time were levied on the gable width.
The day after, I cycled through the Turia Park to the City of Arts and Sciences, an architectural masterpiece by Valencian architect Calatrava, with the opera house, the science museum, a hall of the Caixa bank and the Oceanographic Museum.
Valencia had these buildings built as tourist attractions to compete with Barcelona and Madrid. The complex cost 1.2 billion euros, four times more than the predetermined budget. Whether it is a major attraction I doubt. There were virtually no people at the science museum ticket office, and I fear it would be unbearable in summer from the heat on the vast concrete surfaces.
And in conclusion, from the 16th century, the bat has been Valencia's emblem animal.
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
