Sensory overload

spectacular spain

Iam looking at a handsome forest of columns that support a magnificent vaulted roof. The ceiling and the spiral columns remind me of palm trees, as they fan out and touch the vaulted ceiling.

Long ago, the ceiling was deep blue, painted with gold-leaf stars. With the gleaming floor made up of slabs of black, white and cinnamon-coloured marble, patterned to form six-pointed stars surrounded by squares, the hall is a total stunner. José, our guide, points out the frieze that runs around the entire room, with gold lettering that reminds tradesmen of their duties as Christian merchants:

‘Fellow countrymen, see how kind trade can be, when there is no fraudulency in words, when promises are made to fellow men and not broken, when money is not given with usury...’

Trading floors

I am at La Lonja de la Seda, one of the most emblematic buildings of Valencia, Spain: the Valencia Silk Exchange, built between 1482 and 1548, which was a Gothic chamber of commerce. This UNESCO site of the city is where trades were made and commerce monitored. Ornate gothic stonework adorns the interior and exterior of the impressive Main Hall. It was built by the prosperous merchants who needed a building for meetings and business, much like a modern stock-exchange. At the same time, they wanted La Lonja to be a showpiece of their power, because they represented an important social class. José points out the 28 gothic gargoyles at the top of the building, whose practical purpose is to collect rainwater from the roof, but they are full of symbolism.

Located on the Mediterranean on Spain’s east coast, Valencia is a busy port city. In its chequered history it was occupied in turn by Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and then Christians. Though it’s Spain’s third-largest city with a population of nearly a million, Valencia rarely figures on tourist itineraries. A local expression likens ‘Madrid to a long-term girlfriend, Barcelona to a fling, and Valencia is the gorgeous, tanned younger sister who is often overlooked!’

The original Latin name of the city was Valentia, meaning ‘strength’ or ‘valour’, the city being named according to the Roman practice of recognising the courage of former Roman soldiers after a war; the Arabs conquered the region in the 8th century, introducing the rice that would make the city the birthplace of paella, and in 1238, King James converted Valencia to Christianity. José tells me proudly that  the Valencia bankers lent funds to their queen for Columbus’s 1492 journey.

To an architecture aficionado like me, Valencia is like a treasure chest of styles — gothic mixes with Art Deco, modernist and Art Nouveau rub shoulders, and wherever you look, there are interesting design elements.

Entering Old City through the gothic Torres de Serranos, which have functioned as city gates, even prison cells, and still stand tall, I head to La Seo, Valencia’s cathedral that dates to 1262, and is a fascinating mixture of Romanesque, gothic and baroque architecture. This church overlooks Plaza de la Virgen, a fountain square with wrought-iron gas lamps and rows of orange trees lined with busy cafés. The plaza has been the heart of Old City for centuries. The 13th-century cathedral, which houses what is believed to be the Holy Grail, occupies one side of the plaza.

Where the city really wins your heart is at the Central Market, which is a structure of brick, stone, iron, wood, ceramic and glass — an example of modernist design.

One of the most beautiful buildings (1918), it has a wrought-iron structure and a central dome decorated with stained- glass oranges and lemons, representing the typical produce of the Valencia region. Ceramic tiles are set above the arches, framing a massive circular window that bears Valencia’s coat of arms. I love the chaotic scene as locals fill up their bags and push carts from the variety of veggies and fruits, and create an intoxicating blend of smell and colour.

My most favourite building is the National Ceramics Museum, housed in a rococo palace, said to be Valencia’s ‘Versailles in miniature’. I am awed by its over-the-top façade with alabaster carvings, and the doorway that is flanked by two muscular figures, and a statue of the virgin. The museum houses beautiful ceramics and an awe-inspiring collection of Chinese porcelains, decorative arts, paintings, clothing and numismatics.

If you think the city is just a time warp, you are mistaken. It’s an innovative city with modernistic buildings transforming its skyline. The Congress Centre, designed by British architect Norman Foster, opened in 1998, and has attracted high-power business meetings and events; with solar tiles on its roof, it makes a leading sustainable venue. A contrast to the Old Quarter and a place that showcases Valencia’s love of avant-garde architecture is the new Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences). This complex of public buildings, pools and elevated walkways, designed by Valencia-born architect Santiago Calatrava, among others, includes a science museum, a planetarium, and an aquarium, as well as an entryway that recalls a whale’s skeleton.

Moulds of modernity

Local architect Santiago Calatrava was given a blank canvas here. Today, an assortment of cutting-edge buildings sprawls over the 86-acre site (which I hear have been controversial, as some design flaws have surfaced). Walking around the complex, the IMAX cinema (L’Hemisfèric) looks like a supersized eye, the opera house/cultural centre (Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia) looks like a helmet, and the science museum looks like the ribcage of a whale.

My favourite attraction is the L’Oceanogràfic, an aquarium claiming to be the biggest in Europe. It showcases over 500 species in separate buildings, with highlights including a 75-metre shark tunnel, and an igloo-like Arctic area that houses enormous walruses and beluga whales. “It is visually magnificent and elegant but also a waste of money, which the city doesn’t have for more important things like employing teachers, doctors and scientists,” says a friendly local. But to me, it seems to fit in with the contrast of styles that makes Valencia special — the old segueing into the new.