Catedral Valencia
Centrally located on the Plaza de la Reina, this is the religious centre of Valencia and one of the city’s landmarks.
Many centuries ago, it used to be a mosque, but when El Cid conquered the city, it became a Roman Catholic cathedral. Later the city was re-conquered by the Muslims as part of the Arab Moorish invasion of Spain and the South of France. The cathedral again became a mosque.
Later, when the Christian King Jaume I re-conquered Valencia it reverted to a Christian cathedral. The Miguelete bell tower (El Miguelete) is a hexagonal Gothic tower towering over Plaza de la Reina. The main bell in the tower was blessed back in 1418.
The cathedral is now an amazing hybrid of styles, from Gothic to Baroque and Neo-Classical, with 3 portals to suit each style. The Baroque facade is the most recycled image.
The very impressive octagonal bell-tower El Micalet is the landmark of Valencia, you can climb the stairs to the top (it’s the highest religious structure in Valencia) to enjoy the views of Valencia’s old town.The luxurious interior is worth visiting too, with many interesting elements apart from the overall decor and much famous religious art.
Inside there is a work of Goya – said to be the first one to display his characteristic demon-like phantasmic creatures as well as a mummified hand of San Vicente Martyr (patron saint of the Valencian Community) – the man who changed the course of history here.
Cathedral Museum is situated in a few adjacent enclaves and hosts medieval religious art and artefacts.
One of the most famous rumours is that the Holy Grail itself is here. It sounds like a very bold claim, but more and more researchers are now beginning to agree that all the evidence points to the item in the Valencia Cathedral as the authentic stone cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper…
