València, South Live Cam

Today two branches of the River Turia hold ¡t in their embrace as the centre of the fertile region of orchard lands. It used to be the capital of the former Kingdom of Valencia encircled by walls until the 19C and is the third largest city in today's Spain. The historic centre of the city lies around the Cathedral and includes La Almoina Square and the streets La Corregería, Cabillers, Avellanas, Palau, Almirante, San Esteban, Conde de Olocau, Almudín, Cruílles, Navellos, Portal de Valldigna, Caballeros and Bany dels Pavesos, without forgetting the Roman forum which seems to have been where La Virgen Square is today.

Renaissance coffering with Arab traces. Assembly Hall (Salón de Cortes) with paintings by Zariñena. La Bayla Palace, 16C Gothic, seat of the provincial government, and La Scala Palace in the same style, but with Renaissance additions. Both are part of the building complex on Manises Square.

In the course of this itinerary, one should stop at El Portal de Valldigna, visit the 14C Serranos Towers, the former entrance gates to the city and protected today as a historic site, the 15C Les Roques House, where the triumphal carriages of the Valencia Corpus processions are kept today, the 15C Royal Monastery of La Trinidad at the beginning of Alboraya St as well as the Bridges and Parapets along the old bed of the Turia, which were built between the 16C and 18C and some of which are of undeniable artistic value.

Civil Gothic is especially well represented by the 15C Lonja de Mercaderes, an auction hall, built by Pere Compte and perhaps one of the best buildings in Europe. The Quart Towers of the middle of the 15C used to be the entrance gate to the city for those who came from the lands of Castile.

Parks and Gardens

El Real Gardens or the Municipal Nursery: San Pio V St. Visits daily from 8am until sunset. No charge. Magnificent rose garden. Zoo.

Botanical Garden: Beato Gaspar Bono St. Visits daily from 10.30am-7.15pm. No charge. The first of its kind in Spain. It has thousands of species and varieties of trees, bushes and palm trees. Founded by Antonio José Cavanilles.

Monforte Garden: Monforte St. Visits daily from 10am until sunset. PNo charge. It belongs to the National Art Treasure. Neoclassics style.

Parque Gulliver: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am. to the sunset. Free entrance.

Other important gardens are the ones of La Alameda, Benicalop, Ayora, Glorieta, Antiguo Hospital, Parterre, Grand Vía. Under construction is the Turia Garden in the former bed of the river.

Handicrafts & Shopping

Manises and Paterna were alternately at the head of the ceramics production. Today it is led by the former, where many factories and shops are open to the visitor, in addition to an interesting Ceramics Museum. Tabernes Blanques also has an important, internationally famous factory which should be visited. Because of its importance, the Crafts Centre of the Valencia Community deserves special mention (Address: c/ Hospital, 7).

Furniture is another important item in the chapter on the craftsman's art because there are thousands of craftsmen and hundreds of workshops working individually for the large factories which are mainly found in Alfafar, Sedavi, Benetdser, Albal and Aldaya. Wickenvork is found in Mogente and Vallada. Exquisite works of art are the hand-painted fans (abanicos; ventalls) with ribs made of ivory, exotic wood and other material from the small workshops in Valencia or Aldaya.

The art of working metal has become an industry: jewellery, fashion jewellery, silver objects, lamps... make it difficult to draw a line between the craftsman's art and industry. Printing and paper making can also contribute their share since Xátiva was the first to make paper in Europe, while the first book printed in Spain was written in the tongue of Valencia. Fireworks, half art, half industry, and toy making have a long tradition in these lands, as has glass making. This short list is incomplete without the special mention of the large steel plants.