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English9 curiosities about Valencia and its surroundings
- Roca Grossa: on the main street of Vilafamés, in the province of Castellón, this block of stone weighs 2,163.2 tonnes. Tradition says you make three wishes when you touch it. The town was declared a Site of Cultural Interest on 22 April 2005.
- Fallas: the last mascletà uses 100 kilos of gunpowder, the maximum allowed by the city of Valencia, which nevertheless allowed twice that amount in 2008 to close the festivities.
- City of Arts and Sciences: the ends of the outer arch of the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum are 50 metres apart, and its design channels sound waves so well that you can hear a person standing at the other end.
- Records and curiosities: the Oceanogràfic rose from fourth to second place worldwide in Tripadvisor's 2018 Travellers' Choice awards. The Bali tower in Benidorm rises to 186 metres over 52 floors with more than 700 rooms; construction began in 1987. Valencia is said to be the second city in the world for traffic lights per inhabitant, behind New York.
- Key point: the cathedral holds two paintings by Goya devoted to Francisco de Borja (Saint Francis Borgia).
Some time ago we wrote an article on 13 key facts about Valencia. Today we are back with 9 curiosities about this city, which has plenty of secrets! Did you know them? Test yourself!
The legend of the “Roca Grossa”
On the main street of Vilafamés, a town in the province of Castellón, there is an impressive rock that everyone knows as the “Roca Grossa”. Legend has it that when you touch it, you must make three wishes so that at least one comes true.
Vilafamés was declared a Site of Cultural Interest on 22 April 2005 and belongs to the association of “The most beautiful villages in Spain”. An impressive rock rises up the main street of Vilafamés, Calle de la Font, known in the town as the “ROCA GROSSA”: a mass of stone weighing 2,163.2 tonnes.
100 kilos: the maximum weight of gunpowder allowed for a mascletà
The final mascletà of the famous Fallas is a real spectacle that requires no less than 100 kilos of gunpowder. This is the maximum amount allowed by the city of Valencia (although in 2008 it made an exception and allowed twice as much to mark the end of the festivities).
The magic arch of the City of Arts and Sciences
The City of Arts and Sciences also has its curiosities, notably the Science Museum Príncipe Felipe, where something special is hidden around its arch. 50 metres separate the ends of the museum (outside), so it seems impossible to hear another person at the other end of the arch. However, thanks to its design, which channels sound waves, you can clearly hear a person from the opposite end of the arch.
We tried it and it worked! Your turn!
Italy in Spain
Since the 1970s, Port Saplaya has been the name of a coastal residential area in the municipality of Alboraya, in the province of Valencia. It is known for its beaches and its distinctive look (warm pastel shades, mostly reddish and Siena earth tones), which earned it the nickname “Little Venice”.
The Oceanogràfic: the second-best aquarium in the world
Valencia's Oceanogràfic is the best aquarium in Europe and the second-best aquarium in the world. It rose from fourth to second place worldwide in the 2018 Travellers' Choice awards, given every year by the travel search engine Tripadvisor.
for “service, quality and customer satisfaction”
Valencia Cathedral holds paintings by a great artist
Valencia Cathedral is undeniably a building of great beauty and value. Many relics are also kept inside, and some even claim it holds the true Holy Chalice (Santo Cáliz).
But if we focus on the paintings you can find inside, what very few people know is that there are two paintings by Francisco de Goya. Both are about the life of Francisco de Borja and hang in the chapel.
One of Europe's tallest hotels is in Benidorm
The Bali tower in Benidorm, in the Valencian Community, is one of the tallest buildings in Spain and one of the tallest hotels in Europe: 186 metres spread over 52 floors with more than 700 rooms. Construction was started in 1987 by the local hotel group La Marina. From its viewpoint at the top, you can take in the view over Benidorm bay.
Valencia, the city with the second most traffic lights in the world
Valencia is the top city in Europe for traffic lights per inhabitant and the second in the world, behind New York. If you are in a hurry, you will have to allow for all the red lights slowing you down...
The moon of Valencia
You have probably heard this phrase: “Estàs a la lluna de València”, meaning “You are on the moon of Valencia”. But do you know where it comes from?
Let's go back to the time when Valencia was surrounded by walls and the city gates were closed at night. If you arrived after the curfew, you could not enter the city. People then said you had been left on the moon of Valencia.
Today it is a saying that refers to absent-mindedness and distraction, but also to someone who is waiting for something they cannot get.
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Sources: Love Valencia, Club Rural, ABC, Wikipedia, Verdecora, Valencia Bonita
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