The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) tries to promote and preserve the cultural and historical heritage around the world denominating different sites and cities of particular interest.
Amongst the very best that the Region of Valencia has to offer in terms of culture, are the followings awarded with the World Heritage denomination by UNESCO:
Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List:
Valencian Community
| Picture | World Heritage Sites |
 | La Lonja de la Seda,
Valencia (The Silk exchange)
A World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1996 is of outstanding universal value. La Lonja de Valencia. Interior facade is aesthetically unique of its kind, because of its fine Gothic architecture and Renaissance decoration of the Mediterranean art of the 15th century. Built entirely in limestone between 1482 and 1533 is an exceptional example of a secular building in late Gothic style... |
 | The Water Tribunal of the plain of Valencia was inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The irrigators’ tribunals of the Spanish Mediterranean coast are traditional law courts for water management that date back to the al-Andalus period. Recognized under Spanish law, regulates the use of water to irrigate the fertile plains of the Region of Valencia... |
 | The Palm Grove in Elche,Alicante
Its extraordinary landscapes, the still evident traces left behind by thousand-year-old civilisations and its intangible history shape the journey through a city in chich, obviously, one cannot ignore the beauty of its palm grove, because of course, in Elche, the thrird city in the Region of Valencia in terms of the number of inhabitants, has more plam trees than people.
It is the largest palm grove in Europe, one of Elche two assets which have been proclaimed World Heritage Sites by UNESCO... |
 | The Mystery Play of Elche, Alicante
Since the mid-fifteenth century it has been performed in the Basilica of Santa Maria and in the streets of the old city of Elche. It is a living testimony of European religious theatre of the Middle Ages.
This theatrical performance (protected by several laws aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage) is entirely sung, comprises two acts, performed on 14 and 15 August. Proclaimed Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO... |
 | Mediterranean Cave Art Paintings
In 1998 UNESCO declared the enclaves of Levantine cave art from the Spanish Mediterranean basin as a World Heritage Site, these include Valltorta-Gasulla, a cultural park with over 20 kilometres of winding and narrow grooves are considered to be one of the most important nuclei of open air cave paintings in the world. Today, ten of the 99 shelters with cave paintings can be visited thanks to the works which made them accessible...
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 | Festivity of "La Mare de Deu de la Salut".
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2011 is celebrated in Algemesí, Valencia where every 7th and 8th of September the streets and squares become the stage for a unique cultural manifestation, the Heritage of a tradition of centuries, which fill the streets with colourful places and music playing the movements dances performed by over 500 people.
Costumes, music and dances of a town which, from generation to generation, participates in building its own identity, conforming a feast where the audience does not exist, where everybody plays the main role... |
 | Human Towers
Castells are human towers built by members of amateur groups, usually as part of annual festivities as the Festivity of La Mare de Deu de la Salut, celebrated in Algemesí, Valencia, declarated Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, allowing us to delve into the powerful and spectacular nature of castells and the values associated with these human constructions.
Castells, whose origins date back from more than 200 years, constitute a living cultural tradition in Algemesí, Valencia. The human towers, or human tower builders are formed by castellers standing on the shoulders of one another in a succession of stages |
 | Flamenco
Inscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.Flamenco is an artistic expression fusing song (cante), dance (baile) and musicianship (toque). Andalusia in southern Spain is the heartland of Flamenco, although it also has roots in regions such as Murcia and Extremadura ... |
 | Mediterranean Diet
Declarated Intangible cultural Heritage by UNESCO, is characterized by a nutritional model with its mix of fresh fruit and vegetables, grilled fish and meat (modetare in its amount) olive oil, cereals, dried fruits, and many condiments, herbs and spices, all accompanied by wine or infusions, respecting the beliefs and preferences of each community.
The Region of Valencia’s cookery is fruit of its climate and diversity, its fertile lowlands and orchards, its sea and sun makes a spectacular Mediterranean cuisine made at home with the traditional popular dishes of this Region ... |
 | Wine and Vineyard Cultural Itinerary through Mediterranean Towns
In one of the environmental conditions appropriate for growing grapes, the work of winegrowers, winemakers and oenologists has come together to turn this land into one of the most important regions in the Mediterranean area, producing very distinctive wines which afford renown to the wine creating the Denominaciones de Origen (designation of origin) Valencia, Utiel-Requena… |
La Feria de Abril de Sevilla, Seville April Fair began in 1847 as a livestock fair and was the outcome of an initiative by Narciso Bonaplata and Jose Maria de Ybarra, who applied for authorization from the city council to hold an annual fair on the 19th and 21th of April at Prado de San Sebastian, the on the outskirts of the city.
It was in the 1920’s that the Feria took on its current form as an artificial city of casetas or huts. Its success was such, that in 1950 the livestock fair was separated from the purely festive part. Since 1973 it has been held in the Barrio de los Remedios on a site occupying around 40.000 m2 which has around a thousand of casetas and streets adorned with thousands of fairy lights and is characterized by the typical coming and going of horses and flamenco dresses.
One or two weeks after Semana Santa, Easter starts with the ilummination of the thousands of bulbs that adorn the gate, and throughout the week, Seville takes on a festive atmosfere.
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SEVILLE APRIL FAIR
History and full information about one the most typical Spanish Fair in Spain:
The April Fair Sevilla.
To describe the birth of the Seville Fair it must be based on two stages or periods in the history of Seville.
The first contact that has the Sevillian people with what we call fair, is from the hand of King Alfonso X, son of the conqueror Fernando III, who gave permission for the holding of two annual fairs, April and San Miguel in autumn.
Throughout the years after the vicissitudes of Seville in economics and politics, the people of Seville cease to hold such festivals, which made over 1845 again restore the fair, after the losses of the French invasion, the full economic downturn, some industrial adventures (like so famous pottery of Triana and Carthusian found even in Greece) and hurricane in 1942 that devastated Seville. These parties were restored as revulsive for the Sevillian population sank into an economic crisis and spirit.
Hard to believe, but if we rely on the story, is true. It was not the Sevillian people responsible for re-establishing what already was once belonged to them, in fact they where two councillors of the City of Seville: the Basque Jose Maria Ybarra and the Catalan Narciso Bonaplata, both had the magnificent idea of restoring two fairs in Seville, the April and September Fairs. With the passage of time alone would win the April Fair with more public agglomeration and fame in all Spain.
But it was the Sevillian people who made fair April resurface each year without losing any of their same traditions, songs, dances, joviality and fresh air with every year to this days maintains the Week Fair in Seville.Thus it began on April 18th, 1847 the first “new fair” or the first in modern times. It was stood at Prado de San Sebastián with 19 casetas (houses) and such agglomeration public join the Fair, that the following year a greater number of security officer was requested because the Seville and Sevillian with their songs and dances hampered the main task of the fair: the exchange and the sale of cattle to the public.
The Fair in our times has changed a lot. What began as a simple trade, it has been becoming so popular that today is considered one of the most popular and traditional events that show the joy and color of all Sevillian, Sevilla image and Andalusian character and beyond international borders being very popular and characteristic of Spain.
Since 1973 the new location is hold in the neighborhood Los Remedios, lands that were rescued from the Guadalquivir river after its works.
The caseta has two different areas: the front or noble open to the street, where friends and relatives live and enjoy the fair and the back room where the kitchen is located, also the bar and toilettes.
The current extension of the entire fair ground, is approximately 450,000 m2, as stated above, the fair began with at least 19 casetas, today has about 1048 casetas and are thinking about the possibility of extending the current surface.
The main structures of the Fair are the casetas, as it houses that give life to the fair that is where the entire population gathers to give life to the fair, there are a number of features that is necessary to emphasize; as are the streets that form the enclosure, calls long streets of 10
meters long and cutting those long, short of 7 meters in length forming the fairgrounds, much like a Roman structure that is a rectangular planimetry in they were about long north-south avenues, perfectly cut by short streets from east to west. The real characteristic of these streets is its name. Every street has the name of an important torero (bullfighter) including Seville Curro Romero figure, or the father of modern bullfighting : Juan Belmonte.
Lights and ornaments of the streets play a very important role to integrate into the joyful spirit of the fair, all the bulbs in the streets are decorated with “farolillos” lanterns, which are small balls of paper that are placed around the bulbs in the streets to give a different color, almost always have very characteristic drawings show such as cheerful, bright and polka dots color.
La Portada (cover), What’s the cover? anyone who does not know what is the Seville Fair wonder…, any Sevillian would say the meeting point, would be right in part with that definition, because at La Portada is the place where the group of friends meet before entering the fairgrounds, but La Portada is the main entry.
Each year La Portada has a new design and a different structure, each year a different Sevillian architect who makes the structure and always inspired by a building, anecdote or historical moment of Seville that identifies the city.
Portadas of April Fair in Seville.pdf from 1990 t0 2016.
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CREATION, CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAIN DOOR OF THE FAIRGROUNDS OF THE FERIA DE SEVILLE.
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STREETS, CASETAS HOUSES, BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
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COSTUMES. TYPICAL DRESS
The flamenca dress is typical and traditional clothing of women to flamenco and Seville Fair, is the representation of female beauty made sewing, is a fitted suit to the ankles which features a series of leaflets in beautifying both in the lower area of the suit and sleeves. The tight is the only traditional costume of Spain that is still fashionable,
transcends time is changing, be reformed with modern fashion, with the passage of time. Fashion changes and returns to the traditional costume of Andalusia in costumes short flamencas, the short flamenco dress is the costume instead of reaching to the ankles reach the knees were carried back in the 60s and it makes thing a few years they turned into fashion.
There is also the difference between the costumes of day and night, usually at night are suits duller colours in many cases black and sleeves three-quarters or long and in the case of suits day are brightly coloured suits and short sleeves by the heat of the day and cool night in Seville. Normally male suits matching with her dress, business suits without tie for evening and light colour shirts for the day.
The most typical costumes are smooth patterns with bright colours or polka dot prints which is accompanied with hair up, in the case of the Sevillian woman flamenca which is custom or tradition placed the famous flower in the center of the head and in the case of the Cordoba flamenca woman usually collected hair aside and placed the flower below the ear mostly letting the hair down. This trend is accompanied either by small combs or comb behind a large flower. It is tradition that flowers are artificial but that depends on the fashions that may arise later that year.
Normally the suit is accompanied by various accessories; the small shawl, necklace, bracelets or flamenco heels, in these supplements are mostly game each to combine and liven up the own costume.
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CARRIAGES, RIDERS AND HORSES
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LIVING FAIR SEVILLE
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TYPICAL DISHES OF FAIR, TAPAS
Invalid Displayed Gallery
Holy Week – Semana Santa in Sevilla
The Holy Week or Semana Santa is the most important religious festival in Seville, and depending on the ecclesiastical calendar it is celebrated in either March or April. From Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday, the city takes on a more spiritual air, and the various cofradias of fraternities do penance in the traditional long hooded robes of the nazarenos while they accompany the numerous processions. The sculptures carried on the procession floats are genuine works of art by baroque artistes. They are carried on the shoulders of the so called costaleros, whose slow arduous gait gives and impression of Christ or de Virgin Mary in movement. Along the route saetas may be heard, which are a form of sung prayer sung by an anonnymus singer. In short, Semana Santa is the manifestation of the religious fervour of a people.
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HISTORY AND CLASSIFICATION
Las Hermandades Brotherhoods of Seville started from the seventeenth century who founded the Santo Entierro “Entombment”, after the reconquest of Seville by King Fernando III “The Saint”. From this moment for four centuries founded brotherhoods begin to coincide with a large school of carvers during the Baroque such as Martinez Montanes, Juan de Mesa and others … Most of them belong to professional sectors during the sixteenth and seventeenth century were forbidden to meet and taking advantage of the foundation of brotherhoods, these had freedom of assembly in the different churches; so they have its own brotherhood Museum, founded by the guild of silversmiths, the Brotherhood of the Negritos that bound black slaves in 1500 whom lived in large numbers in Seville, La Carretería founded by Coopers, La Macarena by gardeners , La Esperanza de Triana by fishermen and sailors, Los Panaderos by bakers, etc…
The first brotherhood that has its own chapel is the Museum of Brotherhoods. The mercenaries whose convent was the current Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, sold a small plot in the form of “shopping”, in whose place the current chapel was built. During the century past, most of them have built their own chapels, as they constantly arose friction between the parish priests and the proprietary church congregations.
The season of penance during Easter formerly was not governed by time and headed around their neighborhoods and some of them marched to “Cruz del Campo” whose monument now still exists at Avenida Luis Montoto next to the brewery that bears his name. It is from the late sixteenth century when all the brotherhoods of penance agree to walk to the Holy Cathedral Church without timetables or official career, as today is unified; thereafter a strict order of seniority is established, exp.: the oldest brotherhood is the last in the procession order on its way to the cathedral and the newly created brotherhoods come to occupy first place in the order assigned to the procession.
The first Brotherhood of Triana walking in procession to the cathedral of Seville is the “O”, crossing a pontoon bridge linking Triana with the area near Plaza de Armas where the brotherhoods made penance to the Church of Santa Ana, known as the Trianera Cathedral.
Current brotherhoods have gone through many vicissitudes, lack of economic means, fires, destruction of all its heritage, the civil war… getting from the eighteenth and nineteenth century the union of two or more of them and then set the current Brotherhood.
There has been a huge explosion in neighborhoods formed after the civil war, where large population lives in the city and have joined a lot of Sevillanos to these brotherhoods, enjoying today an important heritage.
The Brotherhoods of the center of Seville’s old town, survive thanks to the family tradition of parents, whom sign up their children at birth, the family members can share different brotherhoods: with parents and with friends, depending as well on the neighborhood where they live.
Cardinal of Seville is who grant to the brotherhoods the title of Brotherhood of Penance, but this does not mean they can go out in procession during Holy Week, is the general counsel of brotherhoods who has the last word in this matter. There are cases that take more than 30 years being brotherhoods of penance and general counsel of brotherhoods are not supported on the procession of Easter.
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PASOS PALIO
Pasos: (Latin: passus, ‘scene, suffering’)? is the name given to the images parading on Easter processions.
Palio: metal structure and fabric covering on columns generally virgin image, but there are places where this element of the step is not exclusive of virgins and also appears on the steps and thrones of Christ. Other elements of the palio are:
- Varal bars or pallium: it is the columns supporting the canopy step or throne. They can be prepared in chiseled metal or wood or metal rods coated with silver or gold guns and knots. The bars are attached to the table of step with a base at the bottom.
- Bambalina and roof canopy: Cloths usually richly embroidered velvet or mesh that form the roof and canopy Falls
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UNIFORMS AND MUSIC GROUPS
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CURIOSITIES
LA TOMATINA, TOMATO FESTIVAL: International Fiesta of Tourist Interest.
Celebrations Schedule of La Tomatina
Bunyol (Valencia) celebrations are from 14th to 31st of August. On 24th will begin the Tomatina Village activitates with music concerts and DJ’s sessions. On 25th of August Buzz!, the popular PlayStation quiz game, is hosting its World Championship Final at Tomatina Village and the NONSTOP session that it will precedes the Tomatina act at the last Wednesday of August.
Tomatoes arrives to Bunyol with lots of fun and music.
Origins and History of La Tomatina Festival in Bunyol – Valencia
It all started on the last Wednesday of August 1945, when some young people were getting fresh air in the town square. The evening did not promise much, so they decided to form part of a parade that was taking place with musicians and carnival figures of giants and enormous headed individuals. The impetus of their entry caused the fall of a participant who full of rage, began to hit everyone in his way. By a quirk of fate, there just happened to be a stand of vegetables beside them. The angry crowd started throwing tomatoes at each other until the public law put an end to the vegetable battle.
The following year, the young people repeated the tomato fight on a voluntary basis and brought tomatoes from home. Although the celebration was dissolved by the police during the following years, the boys, without knowing it, had made history. La Tomatina was banned in the early fifties, although this fact did not dissuade participants, eventhough some were arrested. But the will of the locals was heard and the celebration returned, more people took part in it and it became increasingly wild.
Again the event was canceled until 1955, when, in protest, the Burial of the Tomato was held: an event in which residents carried a coffin with a big tomato inside. The parade was accompanied by a music band playing funeral marches, and it obtained a complete success. Finally, in 1957 official permision was granted and La Tomatina festival was formaly established. After that it has been the City Councils of the municipality themselves that have organized and promoted this curious battle, that has made Buñol world famous.
The festival became popular in the rest of Spain thanks to Javier Basilio who, showed the event in a television program Informe Semanal “Week report” on Spanish TV. Since 1980, it has been the different City Councils that have supplied the tomatoes to the participants, which year after year, increase in number and enthusiasm. The success has led to have La Tomatina, of Buñol, be considered, as of August 2002, International Fiesta of Tourist Interest by the General Secretariat of Tourism of Spain.
The Fallas festivals of Valencia, Spain (1st-19th March), is without a doubt, a unique and universal festivity that no one should miss, are a high point of the year in Spain.
With thousands of light bulbs strung in garlands and hanging from columns, Valencia, in all its vivacious splendour and amidst the eager revelry of its people, stages the most spectacular of festivals: Las Fallas, your kind of event!, a loud, high-spirited fiesta where the whole town is literally set ablaze!!
Las Fallas is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. Our country is known for its unique and odd fiestas. Everyone who has to see the Fallas at least one in a lifetime -an extraordinary fiesta held in the streets to the sound of marching bands taking all the streets and fireworks, the smell of gunpowder mixed with hot chocolate and fritters, and countless parades with everyone in traditional costumes.
Valencia, with a population of just over 1 million, swells to an estimated three million flame-loving revelers during Las Fallas celebrations.
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What Las Fallas means and the focus of the Fallas Festival:
Las Fallas literally means “the fires” in Valencian. The Fallas of Valencia are distributed throughout streets of the entire city. The focus of the fiesta is the creation and destruction of ninots (“puppets” or “dolls”) which are huge cardboard, wood, paper machè and paster statues.
The ninots are extremely lifelike and usually depict bawdy, satirical scenes and current events. Art and humour coincide in hilarious-looking ninots of Fallas figurines that daringly criticize current customs, traditions and fashions. A popular theme is poking fun at corrupt politicians and Spanish celebrities. The work intensive ninots are crafted by neighbourhood organizations and take almost the entire year to construct.
Each year, one of the ninots is spared from fire destruction by popular vote. This ninot is called the ninot indultat (the pardoned puppet) and is exhibited in the local Museum of the Ninot, along with the other favourites from years past.
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When and how the Fallas festival is celebrated:
On 1 March in Valencia, the first call will ring out for Las Fallas. Every day from 1 to 19 March, exacly at 2 pm. the Mascletaes, rhythmical explosions of gunpowder, will fill the Plaza del Ayuntamiento with tourists and locals alike, who all flock to enjoy the noisy spectacle.
The Semana Grande (big week) begins on the 15th with the traditional Plantà: when more than 700 monuments are erected throughout the city’s streets, and fireworks displays are set off next to the Turia’s dry riverbed.
However, the most eagerly anticipated days are, without a doubt, the 17th and 18th; two days during which thousands of Valencians dress up in their finest regional costumes made from natural silk, to leave bunches of flowers at the Ofrenda de Flores a la Virgen de los Desamparados (Offering of Flowers to Our Lady of the Forsaken), the most moving part of the celebrations, when white, pink and red carnations form the cloak of the city’s patron saint.
Finally, the festivities culminate on the night of March 19 th (St. Joseph’s day, the patron saint of carpenters) the day known as La Crema (the burning), when, at the stroke of midnight, the purifying fire ends the short-lived beauty of The Fallas, the street lights are turned off and all of the monuments are consumed by flames provoking a few tears at the end of another natural cycle in welcome of Spring.
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Origins and history of the Fallas Festival
When autumn arrived and the days became shorter, artisans were able to continue their work by the light of crafted wooden lamps known as parot, estai, pagés, pelmodo or perniodol, providing light for apprentices, journeymen and master craftsmen to continue working.
In the spring, as the days became longer, the lamps were not needed and were ceremoniously burnt at the workshop door. To this small fire the craftsmen added off-cuts, wood shavings and leftovers from around the neighbourhood. The old lamp was placed in a vertical position in the centre, decorated with old rags and a hat, giving it a human form – the Ninot Falla. This was how the Ninot came about. The only thing then was for the Ninot (a caricature of any local, national or international figure) to be put on top of a pedestal for all to see and laugh at. When these things come together, we have an authentic Valencian Falla.
On 1st March, the first of the mascletas (an explosion of firecrackers) in the square in front of the City Hall announces the start of the festival period, although the most important events begin on the 16th, by which time the city has been decorated with over 700 symbols and figures. Throughout the day, mass gatherings take place including the despertas (a firecracker wake-up call to the neighbourhood) and magnificent firework displays.
The biggest and most spectacular event is the Ofrenda de Flores a la Virgen de los Desamparados (a floral offering to our Lady of the Forsaken). On 17th and 18th March, from 4pm until nightfall, there is an enormous multi-coloured parade with the members of the Fallas wearing their marvellous, intricately decorated, traditional costumes and carrying bunches of flowers as an offering to their Patron San José.
At midnight on 19th, the dramatic closing act takes place. All, except one ninot chosen by the people from all the different fallas, are set alight and burnt.
The development of the festival as we know it today began in the second half of the 19th century. The fallas and ninots are ephemeral, ornamental and satirical symbols placed in the streets of the city as a humorous social or political comment. They may be human, animal or vegetable in form, portraying a critique of a local, national or international incident, personality or character. There is great irony involved and the ceremonial burning is an act of purification that takes place at midnight on El Día de San Jose (St Joseph’s day).
The fire is the festival; a graphic symbol of joy and happiness that dominates all events that take place during the Semana Fallera (Fallera Week).
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Pictures of some of the best Fallas
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Pictures Regional Costumes: Valencians dress
Read more about VALENCIA
Discover the Land of Don Quixote, the Windmills (property submitted on the Tentative List by UNESCO) and the cave houses in Campo de Criptana, Province of Castilla-La Mancha, only 3 hours driving from the beautiful Valencia.
Get further information at:
http://www.venamicasa.com/spain-discovery-tours/la-mancha-land-of-don-quixote/
