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*Valencian
Community* |
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on the map above to see more details and images on the
Valencian Community
Or
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*Property
of the month* |
Luxury Villa
Ontinyent, Valencia
€472.000 - £337,143
REF: RRE412.
Click
here |
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Welcome
to Spain |
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Thinking
of buying a Spanish Property ?
Spain is a country of sunshine and welcoming people, full of
different customs and images, with a modern and well proven
economy and political stability. It sees over 50 million visitors
a year, and around 1 million foreigners have homes here. It
is estimated that over 500,000 British families own a home in
Spain. Since membership to the Common Market in 1986, interest
in a home in Spain has increased, sales have escalated, and
likewise the property prices have risen. If you are interested
in joining those already enjoying the benefits of a home in
Spain, Spanish Full Monty S.L. Estate Agents (Inmobiliaria)
offer their clients a full sales and aftercare service. |
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Welcome to Valencia
on the glorious Costa Blanca.
According to the World Health Organisation one of the
healthiest places in Europe. This is certainly endorsed
by the thousands of British families who enjoy this unique
Mediterranean lifestyle. Many live here permanently, others
have holiday homes to escape the British winters or to
take advantage of the excellent letting opportunities.
To
see examples of the fantastic properties that are available
simply click here |
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| 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 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 |
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| 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
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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. |
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You may have heard
of the Moonlit Valencian Nights...
Leisure and entertainment activities
in Valencia constitute one of the most exciting and
extensive ranges throughout the Mediterranean. The climate
collaborates with night-farers, filling open terraces
and street |
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cafés in the Plaza de Cánovas
del Castillo, or the romantic dance salon with live music
on the Malvarrosa beach. Everywhere, discos, night clubs and
pubs provide the right kind of scene for enjoying a night
out. |
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Valencians love fiestas
and delight in sharing their joy with others. By far the
most popular of festivities are the world famous Fallas
(12-19 March), or festive bonfires, with their explosion
of colours, fireworks and the smell of gunpowder. The
creativity shown in the artistic monuments ushering in
the spring, the music of marching bands and the colourlul
display ol local costumes make a visit to Valencia in
Fallas (pronounced: fai-yas) an unforgettable experience.
Also of note are the festivities ol the Seafarers' Holy
Week in the port |
| district, the Corpus
Christi Parade, the Carnival and the July Fair with concerts
and live, open-air music, the festivity of San Vicente
Ferrer, the feast day of Mare de Deu dels Desamparats,
the fiesta of Sant Dionís, etc. |
And only at a few kilometers
from Valencia you can also have a look at many other
colourful festivities that spread all around the Comunitat
Valenciana at any season of the year.
The Moros y Cristianos (Moors
and Christians) feasts are a penchant for pomp, splendor
and the donning of garb evoking the days when the Chistian
hosts battled against the men of Islam in the 13th century.
The feast reaches its maximun climate at the city of
Alcoi, but there are many other towns where this tradition
is held with great spendor such as Biar, Ontinyent,
Xativa, Bocairent, Villajoyosa, Alicante, Callosa d'Ensarrià,
Jijona, Cocentaina, Villena, Elda, Petrer, Crevillente,
Bañeres, Albaida, Sax y L'Olleria. Those festivities,
with their |
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spectacular battlesand
parades or entradas(entries) of the moor and cristian
troops, with their rich and colourful festive garb,
the unceasing music and kindling admostphere beetwhen
the audience and the paraders are realy unforgetable.
There are many other festivities,
such as Les Fogueres de Sant Joan, the rigilious mediaeval
origin representation of El Misteri d'Elx, the festive
pilgrimages of els Peregrins de Les Useres and la Mare
de Déu del Lledó. ... |
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The rich variety ol
Valencian cuisine, reflecting the diversity of local products,
is another of the pleasant surprises that await you. Among
the region's well known dishes, Valencian paella is the
true protagonist. Genuine paella is done over a wood fire,
with the broth being prepared first before adding the
rice. But there are many other valencian rice recipes,
such as: arròs a banda (rice dish with seafood),
arròs negre (rice with squid, hence "black"),
arròs al forn (oven-baked rice), arròs amb
bledes (rice |
with chard), arròs
amb fesols i naps (with haricot beans and turnip)...
You can also still try other
treats such as fideuà (a kind of paella with
noodles instead of rice), originally from Gandia; all
i pebre (eels in garlic sauce), from the inland lagoon
of Albufera; suquet de peix (fisherman's dish); esgarrat
(salted cod with sweet peppers); figatell (meatballs
made from liver). |
| All of these can be
enjoyed together with Valencian wines - white from the
Alto Turia and Serranía areas, or red from Requena,
Utiel and Campo de Llíria. And in addition to the
quality of Valencia's fruits, in which oranges ( 12Kb
) play a major role, you'll find an extensive array of
confectionery, the star of which is the arnadí
(a pie made from sweet potatoes) and a series of typical
refreshments such as horchata de chufa (tiger nut milk),
often accompanied by fartons (a kind of sweet breadstick),
originating in Alboraya. |
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| Museum visitors have
a wide choice in Valencia, as shown by the following notes
on opportunities for an interesting use of your free time.
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Instituto
Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM) - Valencian Institute
of Modern Art
Permanent exhibition of sculptures by Julio González
and regular temporary exhibitions by some of today's
leading avant-garde representatives of the arts.
Museo de Bellas Artes
- Museum of Fine Arts
Outstanding works from the Valencian School: Joan de
Joanes, Ribalta, Espillosa, Vicente López, Sorolla,
Pinazo, etc. International works such as Velázquez's
self-portrait, works by Pinturicchio, Andrea del Sarto,
Van Dyck, Murillo, El Greco, Goya, etc. In the sculpture
pavilion, you'll see interesting examples of contemporary
art and an important archeological collection. Museo
Nacional de Cerámica - National Ceramics Museum
Housed in the Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas,
with a façade in the churrigueresque style, this
museum offer an overview of outstanding works in ceramics
from Manises, Paterna and Alcora.
Museo de la Catedral
- Cathedral Museum
Of note are the works by Almedina, Joanes, Goya, Jacomart,
Alonso Cano and Orrente.
Museo Paleontológico
- Paeleontological Museum
Contains a collection ol insects and fossils. |
| The most important
museum exhibited is the skeleton of a megatherium.
Museo del Patriarca -
Patriarch's Museum
A collection worthy of mention, including works by El
Greco and early Flemish painters.
Museo de la Prehistoria
- Museum of Prehistory
A view of the Paleolithic including a range of curious
remains and fossils.
Museo Taurino - Bullfighting
Museum
One of the oldest and most impressive in Spain, with
a variety of bullfighting memorabilia from the |
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18th,
19th and 20th centuries.
Museo Fallero - Fallas
Museum, The Ninots are the cartoon-like figures
or statuettes decorating the monumental Valencian falla.
Each year, since 1934, the cream of the crop have been
saved from the roaring flames and kept in this museum,
together with posters, photographs and other objects
connected with the fallas.
Museo Histórico
Municipal - Municipal Historical Museum
Located in the Ayuntamiento(City Hall), |
the museum has a collection of historical
objects, including the Senyera (the regional flag), the pennant
of James I the Conquerer ,the 15th century Flemish tablet
of the Final Judgement and a series of antique books and guild
memorabilia. Casa-MuseoJosé Benlliure - Museum-Homeof
José Benlliure Contains the works of this
wellknown Valencian artist, along with ceramics and objects
from the epoch. Museo Marítimo Joaquín
Saludes - Joaquín Saludes Maritime Museum.
Located in the Torres de Serranos (the east gateway to the
ancient city), this exposition presents a valuable collection
of amphorae and other archeological objects brought up from
the Mediterranean seabed, as well as an attractive shipmodel
display. Museo de la Ciudad Palacio Marqués
de Campo - City Museum Marquésde Campo
Palace
Holds an archeological collection illustrating the pre-Roman
age and the founding of the city, and a part of the municipal
art gallery. It also contains a permanent exhibition of Christian
Valencia in the XIII th and XIV th centuries .
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Palacio de
la Generalitat
Seat of the Valencian Government, with Renaissance-style
coffered and gold-beaten ceilings, and reminiscences of
the Orient. The Salon de las Cortes (Parliament contains
large paintings by Zariñena. |
| El
"Micalet" or Miguelete
Constructed in the 14th century, El Miguelete is the
belltower of the Cathedral.
La Lonja Silk Exchange
A splendid late-Gothic building known as the Silk Exchange
constructed by Pere Compte. Its famous hall with helicoidal
columns is now used for exhibitions. Of special interest
is the ceiling of the Salon del Consulado, taken from
the 15th century Casa de la Ciudad (Town Hall).
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Torres de Serranos - Serranos Towers Constructed
by Pere Balaguer in the
14th century, these impressive
towers once formed part of the defensive walls of the
city. They now contain the Maritime Museum.
Torres de Quart - Quart
Towers
This gateway was built by Pere Bofill in the 1 5th century
providing access to the city from the west.
Mercado Central - Central
Market
The modernist style Central Market |
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covered market places, with a total area of 8,000 square
metres. |
Catedral Metropolitana - Metropolitan
Cathedral
The cathedral of the city is a compendium ol different styles:
the Palau doorway is Romanesque; the Apostles doorway , the
Chapel of lhe Holy Chalice, the dome and the Miguelete Towerare
Gothic; the presbitery and main doorway are Baroque, with
a few Renaissance chapels.
Real Basílica de Nuestra
Señora de los Desamparados
This basilica, named aiter the city's patron saint, is a traditional
refuge for prayer. Its elliptical interior features a vaulted
ceiling with a fresco by Palomino; the image of the Virgin
is Gothic.
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| You're sure to be
impressed by Valencia's variety of craft industries, providing
products made with imagination, skill and artistry. Copper
green and blue colorants in ceramics first arrived with
the Reconquest in the 13th century; and the socarrats
of Paterna - unique tiles with patterns or designs burnt
onto the surface - were first made in the 15th century.
Manises and Paterna contend as capitals of the ceramic
trade, with Manises being well known for its large number
of factories and expositions open to the public, and its
attractive Ceramics Museum. Hand-painted lans with ribbing
in carved ivory or exotic woods are another Valencian
speciality. Woodworking has long been traditional in the
area, and guitars, castanets and pipes are some ot the
articles still made today. Leatherwork and silk have a
long history behind them, and now find one of their major
outlets in adornments for the fallas and in church vestments.
Metalwork of |
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| yesteryear is now
applied in the manufacture of jewellery, goldsmithing
and lampmaking. Furniture is another of the outstanding
representatives of Valencia's famed artisans numbering
in the thousands. The creations of famous Valencian designers
are easily within reach at excellent quality/price ratios.
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Coinciding with the city center are the main shopping
streets: La Paz, Colon and Plaza de Ayuntamiento. There
are shops here specializing in the very latest design
trends.
On Sunday mornings, the milling crows in Plaza Redondda
(behind Plaza de la Reina) denote feverish commercial
activity.
Anything can be found there, from parrots to leather bags
or second-hand watches. Customers are warned, however,
to check that the article they |
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| are buying lives up
to the promises of the expert salesman. Many of the central
streets are named after the trades that were carried on
there in former times, and there are still some vestiges
of popular handicrafts today. For fine wickerwork, go
to the well-known calle de las cestas (street of the baskets).
There are also a lot of fan-makers and goldsmiths, but
the region's main handicraft is without a doubt ceramics.
The pottery and ceramic shops are all over Valencia, and
sell their wares directly to the public. |
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