Mercado Central, Valencia

The magnificent building housing the Central Market in Valencia is in the Modernist style and was begun in 1914 by architects Francesc Guàrdia i Vial and Alexandre Soler, both from the Barcelona School of Architecture (Escuela de Arquitectura de Barcelona).

There has been a weekly market held on this spot since at least 1261, when the privilege for a market was granted by James I of Aragon (Jaime I de Aragón, el Conquistador). However, the origins of the market are in the souq's of Arabic Valencia, when this area was a maze of streets and merchants around the mosque. It is considered one of the oldest continuously held markets in Europe.

The Central Market is a big tourist magnet, and there seem to be more tour-guides leading groups of visitors from around the world than there are actual shoppers!

Valencia: City of Arts and Sciences

Valencia is very much a city of two halves: there are the gothic and baroque churches, the narrow alleys and town-walls of the old town. And then there is the stunning new architecture of the so-called 'City of Arts and Sciences' (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencian, and Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Spanish).

Both have their charms, but whilst the old town is so-much same-old, the modern quarter is totally unique to Valencia. Any of my photos of the churches could have been taken in any European town and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but the townscape of the City of Arts and Sciences is undoubtedly Valencia.