The City Hall
The City Hall is made up of two connected blocks: the Casa de la Enseñanza (the old Mayoral School) and a new section which was built at the beginning of this century. The first block is characterised by its academic design, including baroque features on the front doors, while the newer part combines more traditional and mannerist styles. The City Council has been based there since 1934, and the building also houses the municipal archives, a museum, and various offices of the administration. The construction is modern, with lavish decoration and there is a clock tower in the centre of the building. Inside, the reception area, assembly halls and the formidable marble stairway are worth mentioning, while outside the elliptical domes decorated with glazed tiles and the great balcony covering the main part of the first floor are the most outstanding features.
Mercado Central
It is a public market located in across from the Lonja de la Sed in central Valencia. The style blends a modern Art Nouveau style but mirrors some of the architectural influences of nearby buildings such as the Gothic Llotja de la Seda and the eclectic Gothic-baroque church of Sants Juanes. Its construction began in 1914 and was not fully completed until 1928. It celebrates the power of iron and glass to permit the construction of large open spaces, but still utilises domes at crossings. Most vendors sell food items, although souvenir shops and restaurants are located inside the market as well. It is a popular location for tourists and locals alike.
Lonja de la Seda
The Lonja de la Seda is a late Valencian Gothic style civil building in Valencia. Built between 1482 and 1548, and it is divided into three parts (plus the Orange Garden). The main hall, the Sala de Contratacion (The Contract Hall) is a large lavishly decorated space supported by gorgeous twisted columns. It was the financial centre where the merchants worked out their contracts. The side-wing is called the Pavilion of the Consulate, where the very first marine merchant tribunal in Spain was established. The central tower of La Lonja used to be a prison.
Cathedral
This Roman Catholic parish church was consecrated in 1238 by the first bishop of Valencia after the Reconquista and was dedicated by order of James I the Conqueror to Saint Mary. It was built over the site of the former Visigothic cathedral, which under the Moors had been turned into a mosque. The Valencian Gothic is the predominant style of this cathedral, although it also contains Romanesque, French Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neo-Classical elements. One of the supposed Holy Chalices in the world is revered in one of this cathedral's chapels; this chalice has been defended as the true Holy Grail; indeed, most Christian historians all over the world declare that all their evidence points to this Valencian chalice as the most likely candidate for being the authentic cup used at the Last Supper. The chalice dates from the 1st century and was given to the cathedral by king Alfonso V of Aragon in 1436.
Torres de Serranos
The Torres de Serranos is one of the twelve gates that formed part of the ancient city wall, the Christian Wall (Muralla Cristiana), of the city of Valencia. It was built in Valencian Gothic style between 1392 and 1398 by Pere Balaguer. Its name is probably due to its location in the northeast of the old city centre, making it the entry point for the road connecting Valencia with the district of Los Serranos (the main road to Saragossa and Barcelona). Alternatively, the gate may also have been named after an important family, the Serranos, who lived in a street with the same name. It is an important landmark and one of the best-preserved monuments of Valencia. Of the ancient city wall, which was pulled down in 1865. It was the main entrance of the city and it was originally built with a defensive function. From 1586 until 1887 the towers were used as a prison for nobles.
