As mentioned in the previous post, the most central point in La Seu is Placa de la Mare de Deu.
This is where many civic occasions are held so it might be best to avoid the area when something’s on if you’re trying to get somewhere.
The old town’s main street, Carrer dels Cavallers, runs out of the square. There are a few quirky statues and buildings at this end of Cavallers.
The Catedral de Valencia is to the south of the Placa de la Mare de Deu. Not exactly a beauty to begin with (it was built in haste when the Christians reclaimed the territory from the Moors), over the years the cathedral has been altered and messed about no end. It has two entrances, a Romanesque one at the rear which I prefer (first picture) and the main door in Plaza de la Reina which is done in an incongruous Baroque style (third picture).
The cathedral is the home of one of the contenders for the Holy Grail, in this case a first century stone chalice supposedly used at the last supper and subsequently by many popes. You can pay to go and see it but as I’m not one for religious trickery I just put my head inside for a peep at the Gothic arches inside the cathedral and then walked on.
Overlooking the cathedral in Plaça de l’Almoina is Casa Punt de Ganxo, built in 1906.
Wish I could remember where this building is because I love it!
In Placa de Lope de Vega, adjoining Placa de Santa Caterina, you can see what is billed as the narrowest house in Europe. You have to look carefully (it’s the red stripe in the centre of the picture) as it’s only the width of a door, and there are one or two other contenders in the square.
I’ve heard a couple of explanations as to why it was built this way, one being that it was due to a father dividing land between his sons, and another that it was a way of paying less tax. Apparently the building widens out once your inside which it would have to really or else what would be the point of living in a house you couldn’t move around in!
At 4-6 Calle del Muro de Sta Ana, you will find La Casa De Los Dulces, Valencia’s oldest sweet shop with spectacular displays of bonbons and lollipops.
