Did El Cid die here?

According to a local tradition, whose origins can be traced back to the 16th century, the palace of al-Qadir was located in this site. The palace was under the control of the wretched king of Toledo, who was appointed by King Alfonso VI to be the ruler of Valencia.

According to this tradition, El Cid established his abode in this place (not at the fortress) after conquering Valencia on 15th June 1094. The building was situated very close to one of the gates of the city: the gate of al-Warraq, which connected the city with the wooden bridge that crossed over the river Turia, whose watercourse was navigable at this section. The bridge was replaced towards the end of the 14th century for the bridge of La Trinidad.

It is very likely that El Cid chose this palace because of its proximity to one of the old city’s gates. In addition, this gate was connected to the suburb of Villanueva, which was the place where El Cid had established his army after the conquest of Valencia. If all this was truly the case, it may not be too farfetched to assume that this was the place where he died in 1099.

Rev. PAB 28.12.18