Alzira (Valencia)

 

What you can do and see in Alzira

Alzira lies at the feet of the Sierras of Murta and Agulles, in the heart of the Upper Júcar region, of which it is the capital. The town is at less than 20m above sea level, which for centuries allowed it to be connected to the sea, as the River Júcar was navigable for boats with a shallow draught.

Extensive plantations of orange trees predominate in the scenery of Alzira, but you can also find some large natural areas in the foothills of the sierras named above, which reach considerable heights, such as the 625m altitude of Pico de la Raya. It is precisely in that range where La Murta and Casella is an emblematic area because of its natural diversity and the lovely monument of the Monastery of the Hieronymites or of La Murta.

The spectacular growth of the town, like other towns in the area, has caused the centre to spread out and form a conurbation together with the towns of Carcaixent and Algemesí, with a total population of over 90,000 inhabitants. In this context, new industrial districts have emerged around the town, to the detriment of agriculture, and they have re-defined the town as a modern prosperous centre.

Thus, when travellers on the Way of El Cid arrive, they find a town with wide avenues, high buildings and large squares with green areas; these then give way to the old town, with a more disorganised layout and cobbled streets. This area, the location of the medieval town, is called the Vila, and can be described as a village inside a town. Its boundary is marked by the walls, with an Islamic origin, built with stone.

Walking round the Vila, you can discover the essence of a Valencian town, with its alleys and small squares, together with a good number of late-Gothic mansions, like the Town Hall, and neo-Classic and Modernist buildings. You cannot fail to visit the Church of St Catherine, a monumental building that appears to be Baroque but which conserves numerous Gothic elements from the original church, which was built over the main mosque, as so often occurred.

Alzira is also especially important symbolically for the people of Valencia, as it was the place of death of James I, the king who conquered these lands from the Muslims in the 13th century and constructed the kingdom of Valencia. All the evidence suggests that the king, who had abdicated the throne and taken habits four years died in it, although a legend associates his death more dramatically with the Covered Cross, a Gothic cross near the town and now protected between the lanes of the CV-42 road, part of the Via Augusta.

Alzira is also known for its festivals, two of which are designated as festivals of Spanish Tourist Interest and take place in March and April: the Fallas and Holy Week.

Rev.: JGG 21.09.21