Valencia Cathedral (Catedral de Valencia)

Valencia Cathedral, the Catedral de Valencia, stands in the old town beside the Plaza de la Reina and the Plaza de la Virgen, on a site that has held a place of worship for many centuries. After King James I of Aragon conquered the city in 1238, the former mosque was consecrated as a church, and the present Gothic cathedral was begun around 1262. Construction went on for about two centuries and later work added Romanesque, Baroque and Neoclassical elements, so the building is a record of changing styles. The Romanesque Puerta del Palau and the Gothic Puerta de los Apóstoles are among the older doors, while the Baroque façade facing the Plaza de la Virgen was added in the eighteenth century.

The cathedral’s best known object is the Holy Chalice, the Santo Cáliz, kept in a chapel. According to tradition, this agate cup is the Holy Grail, the vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper. Historians cannot prove it, but the Church has long venerated it, and several popes have celebrated mass with it. It draws many visitors, whatever their view of the tradition. Other works include Renaissance paintings on the main altar by Fernando Yáñez and Fernando Llanos, and two paintings by Goya in the chapel of San Francisco de Borja.

The bell tower, El Miguelete, is the cathedral’s other great attraction. This octagonal Gothic tower was built from the late fourteenth century and can be climbed by a narrow spiral staircase, giving a wide view of the city’s rooftops, the tiled domes and, on clear days, the sea. The climb is steep and tickets are limited, so check in advance.

A unique tradition takes place outside the Puerta de los Apóstoles each Thursday at noon: the Water Tribunal, a court of farmers that has settled disputes over irrigation water for more than a thousand years. UNESCO recognises it as an intangible heritage, and it is a short, formal ceremony in which the judges sit in front of the door.

Cultural visits to the cathedral include access to the Cathedral Museum and an audio guide in several languages, and some restricted areas are open on these visits. The cathedral is in the third largest city in Spain, and Valencia’s old town is compact. Hours differ by day and by season, with later opening on Sundays and holidays, and the cathedral is closed on some religious holidays. Check the official site for current times and ticket types. The Lonja de la Seda, the Mercado Central and the Barrio del Carmen are a short walk away.