We were walking in the old quarter of Valencia  and came across a building which looked interesting.  It was the entrance to the “Tribunal de les Agües” It was open to the public to walk through so we decided to check it out.

We went in and took a look around the building. There is quite an interesting history with the Tribunal de les Agües. This tribunal is still functioning today and is used as the modern process for addressing complaints regarding water irrigation.

There is a tribunal process in Valencia that has been established for hundreds of years. It deals with disputes related to water usage for farmers and use of irrigation processes.

In the past farmers would share irrigation water systems. One farmer would use it one day then the other farmer the next day, however if there was a dispute over the water by the farmers they would resolve it through the tribunal of aigües. The tribunal would hear their complaint and make a resolve or issue a fine which was final. There is no appeal process and the tribunal is the ultimate decision maker.

The tribunal room is a large area with assigned chairs set up in a circle.

There is an appointed representative from each irrigation district or area of Valencia.

There is one member from within the group elected president for a two year term. There are nine representatives in total and every Thursday at noon the tribunal meets in a public forum. They gather in the public area in the Plaza de la Virgen square with the chairs arranged in a circular fashion. They conduct business and a bailiff will call out each irrigation district at a time for anyone in that district with a complaint. The traditional phrase “denunciants de la sèquia de…!” is used. If there is no complaint they move on to the next district until all have been called out. It takes approximately 10 minutes to call out the districts and if there are no complaints they adjourn until the following Thursday.

If there happens to be a complaint, the tribunal will hear the complaint and render a verdict after asking some questions of the parties present. The complaint is addressed quickly and not carried forward to another date.

The process has become somewhat of a tourist attraction and people will show up to view the Thursday noon ritual. I (Ray) have been involved for almost my entire adult life in municipal processes and it amazes me that this process remains a functioning part of government in Valencia. It was interesting to see and we thought it was worth sharing with you.

“adios y que tenga un gran días”

 

We went for a walk and came across the “Serranos Gate”, in Valencia. So we thought why not check it out and bought a ticket for the self guided tour of the tower.  Serrano gate was one of the twelve gates that formed part of the ancient city wall. It was built near the end of the 14th century between 1392 and 1398.  The Serranos Gate is more like a castle with defensive capabilities than a simple gate.

We walked up the stairs and began our self guided tour of the gates.

There are four different levels of the gate which required walking up a long set of steep stairs for each level. Once we reached the first level there were two sides to the gate. Each side was identical and mirrored each other. in each side there was a large room with a high arched ceiling with a stone ridge feature.

We walked around the first level and explored the rooms. There was no one else around and we had the place basically to ourselves. There were several wooden doors which were thick and had door knockers on them that were interesting.

We headed up the steep stairs to the next level. The stairs have a steel railing which is quite open and low. So we stayed closer to the wall than to the edge.

Once we got to the second level of the Serranos Gate, we were in a large open area. The opening allowed for a view of the city on one side while the exterior wall was obstructing the other side.

The next level had a narrower set of steep stairs and we were careful climbing up.

When we reached the landing of the split section of stairs there was a small door opening. We went through the opening onto a narrow  walkway.

We walked the full length of the walkway which provides a view of the exterior section of the city.  It also would have provide protection to any soldiers that were on the gates. Looking down we could see just how high we were.

We headed up to the top of the Serranos Gate which provided a large area with a beautiful view of the city of Valencia.

The view was spectacular from the top of the gate, we could see the skyline of Valencia.

The Serranos Gate was built as part of a wall system which surrounded and protected the city from thief and marauders. There was a total of 12 gates which allowed for access to the city. There are only two gates that remain the remainder of the gates and the wall has been destroyed over time. We had a great day climbing this medieval structure and exploring the Serranos Gate.

“Adios y que tenga un gran días”

 

We stopped into this quaint cafe in Valencia called “Cafe de las Horas” it was quite different and was decorated in a kind of baroque style. There were stars painted on the ceiling, a large chandelier and the whole cafe was filled with baroque art and design.

We came in and sat down at a small table and ordered a couple of drinks. We had just finished our two and a half hour walking tour and wanted to take a break. We enjoyed our drinks and relaxed looking around the room. We noticed the broken tile imbedded into the floor. It was a creative and a neat way to finish the floor.

The bar area of the cafe was full of ornate decorations and was a bit over the top with art and decorations.

Each area we looked at was unique and full of decorations. There was a small alcove that had a small table and chairs. It was decorated and full of baroque styled art as well.

It seemed that anywhere you looked there was no space or area not filled with art decorations. It kept you entertained just looking at the decor of the room.

We enjoyed our well deserved rest and finished our drink then headed out to our next adventure.

“adios y que tenga un gran días”

We went to see the “Iglesia Catedral-Basílica Metropolitana de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora de Valencia” which translates in english to “Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia”. It is referred to as simply the Valencia Cathedral which is a lot easier to say. It is a beautiful gothic style church and is not overly ornate on the outside, but still impressive.

Inside the church there are high ceilings with arches with a central dome that has eight windows around the base of the dome.

There is also a beautiful Star of David shaped stained glass window at one end wall of the church. The Two triangles represent the male and female of humanity. They are a balance between male and female and represent unity and balance.

We had the opportunity to see some impressive historic things at the Cathedral. We took our time and walked around looking at the chapels and at some of the ornamental features of the church. We came across an area called the Chapel of Resurrection which was gold coloured and behind metal bars.

Once we looked closer at the Chapel of Resurrection we could see a glass front ornate box that had something on display inside.

On closer look we could see inside the glass box and there was the severed mummified arm of Saint Vincent on display.

The Catholic history states that Saint Vincent, deacon of Saragossa, was tortured in Valencia during the persecution of Diocletian in 304. The news of his faith spread across the Church and he was considered one of the main representative saints of Spain. Towards 1104, the Bishop of Valencia at that time went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and carried with him the left mummified arm of St. Vincent.  As this ecclesiastic died suddenly in Bari (Italy), the relic was left there and was being passed on up to being in possession of Mr. Pietro Zampieri from Vigonovo (Venice). In 1970 he gave it to the Cathedral together with the bronze reliquary made in a Venecian style. (Ref. Valencia Cathedral)

Another impressive area was the high altar of the Cathedral. It has beautiful ornate features and a mural on the ceiling which is stunning.

Throughout the Cathedral there were some stunning oil paintings depicting religious scenes. A few of them are below.

One of the paintings depicts the reconquest against the Moors in October 1238.

We went to the Holy Chalice Chapel which is off in a section of the church away from the main chapels. The entrance and hallway to the chapel was unassuming.

Inside the Holy Chalice Chapel there were rows of pews and a main altar area. The altar and back wall were quite ornate and the centre section contained the Holy Chalice.

We came in and sat quietly in one of the pews looking at the altar and the Chalice. It was difficult to see the Chalice on display at first because of the bright light which was shinning on it. The Chalice is not overly large and we were not able to get too close because it was cordoned off approximately eight feet away.

The history of why this is the authenticated original Holy Chalice and how it ended up in Valencia Spain is a long complicated history. I won’t list the history here in the blog, but if you are interested this link will give you the info.  http://www.catedraldevalencia.es/en/el-santo-caliz_historia.php

The Cathedral also has a bell tower know as the “Campanar de la Cathedral” which translates to “Bell tower of the cathedral”. We decided to not go up the tower and to just took at it from the outside. The tower was built beginning in approximately 1380 and over the years it was extended and finished.

The bell tower is a landmark and quite visible above the remainder of the buildings around it.

We enjoyed the artifacts and the rich history of the Cathedral. It was very interesting and an impressive day for us.

“adios y que tenga un grand días”