User:Brateevsky/Valencia

Valencia or València, pronounced [baˈlenθja] (bahl-EHN-thyah) in Spanish, and [vaˈlensia] (vahl-EHN-see-ah) in Valencian, is a charming old city and the capital of the Valencian Community. With just under 800,000 inhabitants, it is Spain’s third-largest city and, after Barcelona, the most significant cultural centre along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It is the capital of the autonomous Valencian Community, and is known for tourism and cuisine. In March visitors flock to the city for the annual UNESCO-listed Falles celebration, but the city is worth visiting at other times of year for its paella, ultramodern architecture, and good beaches.

Understand
Valentia Edetanorum was established as a Roman colony in the second century BCE. In the early 8th century CE the Moors invaded, and Balansiyya became the capital of the Muslim Taifa of Valencia, thriving as a trading centre for paper, silk, ceramics, glass, and silver. With a brief interlude of Christian control in the 11th century under El Cid, the city remained in Muslim hands until the Christian Reconquista led by King Jaime I of Aragon in 1238, and was incorporated as a kingdom under the Crown of Aragon.

Valencia experienced its golden age in the 15th century, with a growing population and flowering of Valencian culture and the arts. Significant monuments from this period include the cathedral’s Micalet, the UNESCO-listed Llotja de la Seda, and the Torres de Serrano (Serrano Tower). During this period it became one of the most influencial cities of the Mediterranean, and helped to fund Christopher Columbus's first voyages to the Americas.

In 1609 the Spanish government ordered the expulsion of all Jews and Moriscos from the kingdom to north Africa. Muslim descendants made up about a third of the population of Valencia and the surrounding region, and their forced removal brought about a major economic downturn, and in some nearby communities, economic collapse. It was more than a century before the city began to recover.

In the 20th century, Valencia was the capital of Republican Spain from 1936 to 1939, and during the Spanish Civil War sustained heavy bombardment by Franco’s forces, both by air and sea. Franco retaliated for Valencia’s Republican past with cultural and ideological repression, and forbade the use of the Valencian language. In 1957 the Túria River overflowed its banks leading to catastrophic flooding of the old city centre with more than 80 dead. The river was consequently diverted to the south of the city, but it was not until the return of democracy that the original abandoned riverbed was finally converted into a park – now one of the city’s most outstanding features.

In the 21st century Valencia has continued to evolve. In 2007 and 2010 the city hosted the America’s Cup, and from 2008 to 2012 hosted the Formula One European Grand Prix. Architecturally, too, the city has changed, most notably with the construction of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (City of Arts and Sciences) by internationally-renowned Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. The 2015 election of a new leftist coalition city council, after decades of control by the conservative Partido Popular (PP), brought renewed focus on expanding and improving existing infrastructure, including adding three new metro lines and expanding the city’s already extensive bicycle path network. This ongoing transformation has turned a once little-considered medium city into a meatier and more interesting destination.

Climate

 * Summer — Like most European countries, August is a slow month as many of the residents are on vacation. At this time of year Valencia is very hot and humid with temperatures averaging between 30-35°C (86-95°F) by day and 20-25°C (68-77°F) by night.
 * Fall — September and October are more active months and the weather permits beach outings. Important events take place during this season.
 * Winter — Though temperatures are still relatively mild, it's too cold to sunbathe at the beach. It's not unusual though the occasional days reaching around 20°C (68°F) in the middle of this season. Some sidewalk cafés remain open.
 * Spring — A lovely time to visit. The annual Falles festival unofficially marks the beginning of spring. Cafés and restaurants open their terraces and life spills out onto the street once again.

Talk
Valencia's official languages are Valencian, which is very similar to Catalán, and Spanish. In the capital of Valencia, which is the third largest city in Spain, not many people speak Valencian, nor are they offended if addressed in Spanish. However, outside the capital, Valencian is often preferred. As in Barcelona with Catalán, it helps to be sensitive to this language dynamic. However, the linguistic issue is not as controversial as in Barcelona and most people in Valencia speak Spanish as their first and often their only language. The English-speaking skills of the locals can be hit or miss. Most people under 35 speak some English and some quite a bit, but most would prefer being addressed at first in Spanish or Valencian. French is also spoken or understood by some.

Monuments and architecture