Valencia

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Valencia Valncia/Valencia

Clockwise from top, Valencia skyline, Veles e Vents building, City of Arts and Science, Turia Riverbed Gardens, Virgin Square (Turia Fountain and Cathedral), modernist buildings in Town Hall Square.

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Coat of arms

Valencia
Location of Valencia in Spain

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Country Autonomous Valencian Community Community Province Valencia Comarca Valencia Founded 137 BC Districts List[show] Government Type Mayor-council government Body Ajuntament de Valncia Mayor Rita Barber (PP) Area City 134.65 km2 (51.99 sq mi) Elevation 15 m (49 ft) Population (2010) INE City 809,267 Density 6,000/km2 (16,000/sq mi) Urban 1,175,000 to 1,564,145 Metro 1,705,742 to 2,300,000 valenci, valenciana (va) Demonym valenciano, valenciana (es) Time zone CET (GMT +1) Summer (DST) CEST (GMT +2) (UTC) Postcode 46000-46080 ISO 3166-2 ES-V Website http://www.valencia.es Valencia (Spanish: [balenja]), or Valncia (Valencian: [valensia]), is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, with around 809,000 inhabitants in the administrative centre. Valencia is also Spain's third largest metropolitan area, with a population ranging from 1.7 to 2.5 million. The city has global city status.[1] The Port of Valencia is the 5th busiest

3928N 023WCoordinates: 023W Spain

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container port in Europe and the largest on the Mediterranean Sea, with a trade volume of 4.21 million TEU's.[2] Valencia was founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC. The city is situated on the banks of the Turia, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, fronting the Gulf of Valencia on the Mediterranean Sea. Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain, with approximately 169 acres;[3] this heritage of ancient monuments, views and cultural attractions makes Valencia one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Major monuments include Valencia Cathedral, the Torres de Serranos, the Torres de Quart, the Llotja de la Seda (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996), and the Ciutat de les Arts i les Cincies (City of Arts and Sciences), an entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex designed by Santiago Calatrava and Flix Candela.[4] The Museu de Belles Arts de Valncia houses a large collection of paintings from the 14th to the 18th centuries, including works by Velzquez, El Greco, and Goya, as well as an important series of engravings by Piranesi.[5] The Institut Valenci d'Art Modern (Valencian Institute of Modern Art) houses both permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and photography.[6] Valencia is integrated into an industrial area on the Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast). Valencia's main festival is the Falles. The traditional Spanish dish, paella, originated in Valencia.

Contents

1 Name 2 Geography
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2.1 Location 2.2 Climate

3 Economy
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3.1 Port 3.2 Transport 3.3 Tourism

4 Demographics 5 Culture
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5.1 Languages 5.2 Food

6 History
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6.1 Roman Valentia 6.2 Middle Ages

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6.3 Golden Age of Valencia 6.4 Early Modern 6.5 Late modern and contemporary

7 Main sights
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7.1 Architecture 7.2 The cathedral 7.3 Hospital 7.4 Medieval churches 7.5 Squares and gardens 7.6 Museums

8 Sport
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8.1 Football 8.2 American Football 8.3 Motor sports

9 People born in Valencia and Valencia province 10 Districts 11 Twin towns and sister cities 12 See also 13 References
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13.1 Notes

14 Further reading 15 External links