Valencia · Spain
Plaza de la Virgen
A practical guide to Plaza de la Virgen in Valencia: what to see at the Turia fountain, the Basilica and the Apostles' Door, what time to go, the Water Tribunal and the traps at its café terraces.
Yes, it's worth it, and it's free: it's the most beautiful square in Valencia. Come for the buildings and the history, not the terraces, which charge you for the view.
Plaza de la Virgen is Valencia’s oldest square and its most photographed. In a single glance you get the cathedral with its Apostles’ Door, the Baroque Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken, the Palau de la Generalitat and, in the middle, the Turia fountain. It’s touristy, and for good reason: it’s the image of Valencia that stays with you.
Our experience
We arrived at 16:00 on Monday, May 25, after a rice lunch at El Paeller Valencià on Calle de Caballeros, which leads right into the square. It was a short stop: a loop around the fountain, the Apostles’ Door, and from there into the cathedral, where we climbed the Miguelete first. It was a Monday, so we didn’t catch the Water Tribunal, which meets on Thursdays. Afterward we walked two minutes to Horchatería Santa Catalina. It’s all in our arrival day in Valencia.
A bit of history
The square sits on the forum of Roman Valentia, founded by the consul Decimus Junius Brutus in 138 BC. The cathedral was begun in 1262 on the site of the old mosque, and the Apostles’ Door was finished in the late 14th century. The Water Tribunal meets in front of that door; it dates back to the Muslim era and is often cited as the oldest court of justice in Europe still in operation.
The Basilica was built between 1652 and 1667 to a design by Diego Martínez Ponce de Urrana. Its story begins in 1409, when the friar Joan Gilabert Jofré defended a mentally ill man who was being beaten by a mob, and then founded a hospital for the mentally ill, the first in Europe. The hospital’s brotherhood adopted the image of the Virgin who is now the city’s patron, whom Valencians call the Geperudeta, “the little hunchback,” because of the statue’s forward lean. The Turia fountain came much later, in 1976, as a tribute to the river and the farmland it watered.
What to see, in order
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The entrance from Plaza de la Reina
Come in through the passage beside the cathedral: the square opens up all at once, with the Gothic apse on one side and the Miguelete behind it.
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The Turia fountain
From 1976, by sculptor Manuel Silvestre Montesinos. The reclining man is the Turia River and the eight women are the eight historic irrigation channels that water the farmland around the city. Notice that each one holds her pitcher differently.
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The Apostles' Door
The cathedral's Gothic portal, from the late 14th century, with the apostles in niches and the Coronation of the Virgin above. The Water Tribunal meets here on Thursdays at 12:00.
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The Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken
Baroque, from 1652 to 1667, with an oval floor plan. If there's no Mass, go in and look at the dome painted by Antonio Palomino in 1701. Inside is the Geperudeta, Valencia's patron saint.
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The Palau de la Generalitat
Civil Gothic from the 15th century, on the north side, seat of the Valencian regional government. The northwest corner gives you the best angle of its tower with the Basilica behind it.
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The fountain from behind
Almost everyone photographs the fountain from the south. Walk around to the east side and you get the Basilica as a backdrop.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- On Thursdays at 12:00 the Water Tribunal meets: eight elected representatives settle irrigation disputes from the farmland in Valencian, with no lawyers and no paperwork. It's free, and UNESCO recognized it in 2009.
- The Basilica closes around 21:00 most days; the square never closes, and at night the facades are lit.
- There are no public restrooms on the square. The closest are in the Basilica, during its hours, or in the cathedral with a ticket.
- For a coffee or an horchata, walk two minutes to Horchatería Santa Catalina instead of sitting at the terraces on the square.
Do
- Go inside the Basilica: it's free and a lot of people stay outside.
- If you sit at a terrace, order a coffee or a vermouth and that's it. Read the fine print and ask whether there's a terrace surcharge.
- When you're done, head out along Calle de Caballeros into El Carmen.
Don’t
- Don't accept the sprig of rosemary someone presses into your hand: afterward they aggressively demand €5–10.
- Don't sign petitions on clipboards: while one person distracts you, another goes for your pocket.
- Don't let anyone take a "free" photo of you by the Apostles' Door, and don't hire "official guides" at the cathedral entrance: you can visit the cathedral on your own, with the audio guide included.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Plaza de la Virgen in Valencia?
The cathedral with its Apostles' Door, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken, the Palau de la Generalitat and the 1976 Turia fountain. The Roman city's forum lay underneath.
When does the Water Tribunal meet?
Every Thursday at 12:00, in front of the cathedral's Apostles' Door. It's free and held in Valencian.
Do you have to pay to enter the Basilica of the Virgin?
No. It's free to enter when there's no Mass.
Is it worth eating in Plaza de la Virgen?
For the view, yes; for the food, no. Recent reviews keep complaining about tourist prices and supermarket canned seafood served as a dish. Have something light here and eat in El Carmen.
What's the best time to go?
From 18:00 until sunset, for the light on the facades, or before 9:00 if you want it nearly empty. From 11:00 to 18:00 there are more groups and more vendors.