Játiva and Gandia in many places rising very little above sea-level. To the west of these is a series of tablelands with a mean elevation of about 1000 ft., which in turn rise into the mountains that form the eastern boundary of the tableland of New Castile, and attain within the province a maximum elevation of nearly 4000 ft. The coast is skirted by considerable stretches of sand-dune, and by a series of these the lagoon called the Albufera (q.v.) de Valencia is separated from the Mediterranean. The principal rivers are the Guadalaviar or Turia and the Júcar (q.v.). The Guadalaviar enters the province in the extreme north-west, flows south-east, and falls into the sea below the city of Valencia; it receives numerous tributaries of little importance, and it dispenses fertility by numerous aqueducts, mostly of Moorish origin, throughout the lower part of its course. Both the Iucar and its right-hand tributary the Albaida supply water for an extensive system of irrigation canals.
In the lowlands, especially towards the coast, very little rain falls; but heavy rain and melting snow among the highlands in which the principal rivers rise occasionally cause sudden and disastrous floods. The vegas have an exceptionally fine, almost sub-tropical climate. In their low-lying portions rice is the favourite crop; elsewhere wheat, maize and all kinds of fruit are abundantly grown; the mulberry is cultivated for silk; and wine and oil are produced. Esparto grass is grown in the less fertile areas. The tablelands produce, according to their elevation and exposure, figs, almonds, olives or vines. The pastures of the higher grounds sustain numerous sheep and goats; but cattle and horses are relatively few. The hillsides are somewhat bare of timber. The mineral resources of the province are little developed. The fishing industry on the coast is considerable, and there are manufactures of silk, carpets and tapestry, woollen, hemp and linen fabrics, glass, pottery and leather; there are also iron foundries, distilleries, cooperages and oil refineries. These industries are important, although the silk manufactures declined after three decades of prosperity (from 1850 to 1880). The coast railway from Barcelona traverses the province, passing through the city of Valencia on the way south to Alicante and Murcia. From Játiva another important line diverges westward to Albacete, and there are branch lines from Valencia to Liria and to Utiel, from Silla to Cullera, from Carcagénte to Gandia, and thence to Dénia and Alcóy in the province of Alicante. Valencia, the capital and principal seaport, and the towns of Alcira, Requena, Sueca, Jativa, Carcagénte, Cullera, Utiel, Onteniente and Gandia, are described in separate articles. Other towns of more than 7000 inhabitants are Algemesi, Catarroja, Liria, Sagunto, Tabernas de Valldigna and Torrente.
When the ancient kingdom of Valencia was incorporated into Aragon in 1238, it included the provinces of Castellon de la Plana (q.v.) and Alicante (q.v.). It was bounded inland on the N. by Catalonia, W. by Aragon and New Castile, and S. by Murcia. This region has an area of 8830 sq. m.; its present population is about 1,600,000. For its history see Valencia (city). The inhabitants are of very mixed race, owing to the successive occupation of the country by Iberians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors. Their dialect resembles Catalan but is softer, and contains a larger percentage of Arabic words. On the physique of the people, as on their customs and the architecture of their houses, Moorish rule left a durable imprint. The elaborate irrigation-works and the system of intensive agriculture which have rendered the huertas or gardens of Valencia celebrated were initiated by the Moors; the fame of the Elche date-groves, the Alicante vineyards and the Valencia orange plantations, was also originally due to them. With the decline of the caliphate of Cordova early in the 11th century, Valencia became an independent kingdom, which passed successively into the power of the Almoravides and Almohades. When James I. of Aragon captured the city of Valencia in 1238, he found so large a number of Mozarabic Christians who had adopted the Arabic language and many of the customs of their rulers, that it was found necessary to translate the Bible into Arabic for their use. In 1609, 200,000 Moriscoes, or Moors who outwardly professed Christianity, were banished from the country. In 1833 Valencia was divided into the three provinces already named.
VALENCIA, the capital of the Spanish province of Valencia,
on the right bank of the river Guadalaviar or Turia, 3 m. from
the Mediterranean Sea, and 304 m. by rail E.S.E. of Madrid.
Pop. (1877) 143,856; (1900) 213,550. Valencia is connected
by numerous railways with all parts of Spain, and has one of
the most secure and capacious harbours on the east coast. It
is the seat of an archbishop, a court of appeal, a university,
a captain-general and an army corps. All round it stretches
the beautiful and closely cultivated Huerta de Valencia, an
alluvial plain planted with groves of oranges, lemons and
mulberries. The climate is mild and very dry; rain hardly
ever falls except when the east wind blows from the sea. The
White houses of the city, often Moorish in many details of their
architecture, and the multitude of domes and towers overlaid
with blue, white and gold tiles, give to Valencia an oriental
appearance which is remarkable even in south-eastern Spain.
Until 1871 it was enclosed by a wall founded by the Romans
and rebuilt in 1356 by Pedro IV.; two picturesque gateways
with machicolated towers still remain, but few other remnants
are left of the old fortifications, the site of which is now occupied
by fine boulevards. The river, reduced, except in time of flood,
to a scanty stream by the demands made upon it for irrigation,
is crossed by several bridges, of which the longest has thirteen
arches. The streets are for the most part narrow, crooked
and somewhat gloomy, but in the more modern quarters there
are some broad and handsome thoroughfares. Towards the
close of the 19th century Valencia was lighted by gas and
electricity; electric tramways were laid down and a good
water-supply and drainage system secured.
The cathedral (La Seo), begun in 1262, was in 1459 lengthened in its original Gothic style, but in such a way as to spoil its proportions, and in the 18th century it was further injured by pseudo-Classic additions. It possesses some fine examples of the sculpture and metal-work of the 15th century, as well as of the Valencian school of painting. The Campanile (el Miguelete), an isolated octagonal Gothic tower, 152 ft. in height, commands an extensive view of the town and surrounding country. Near the cathedral is the episcopal palace, its large and valuable library, rich in medals and other antiquities, suffered greatly during the French occupation in 1812. Besides the cathedral, Valencia has numerous parish churches and other ecclesiastical buildings, none of them of great architectural beauty or interest; the church of St Nicholas (of Moorish origin) has, however, good specimens of paintings by Vicente Juanes as well as frescoes by Dionis Vidal; and Ribalta can be studied in the chapel of the Colegio de Corpus or del Patriarcha.
Valencia University was formed about 1500 by the fusion of an episcopal school of theology with a municipal school of arts, medicine and law, both dating from the middle of the 14th century. New colleges were soon added, and up to 1600 the university attained much prosperity and a high reputation. It then began to decline, but was reorganized after 1848, and resumed its place as one of the leading universities. The average number of students is 1750; law, philosophy, natural science and medicine are the subjects taught. The large but uninteresting university buildings date from the 16th century. The library, containing about 60,000 volumes, was robbed of its chief treasures by the French in 1812. There is a rich provincial museum, with paintings by Velazquez, Ribera, Dürer, Juanes, Bosco, Goya and many modern artists. Among other public buildings may be mentioned the court-house, a Doric edifice, dating from the time of Ferdinand the Catholic, and having curious frescoes (1592) in its main hall; the customhouse (1758), now a cigar manufactory, employing some 3500 women; and the silk exchange, a large and elegant Gothic hall (1482). The citadel, on the north-east of the town, was built by Charles V. as a protection against Khair-ed-Din Barbarossa, the sea-rover; in the south-west cf the town is the former College of Saint Augustine, now used as a model prison, adjoining which is a large hospital. Beyond the old line of the walls there are a botanic garden, a large bull-ring, and various shady promenades, including the beautiful “Glorieta,” and, on the north side of the river, the alameda, leading to the port (El Grao). The principal manufacture is silk, and the town is also celebrated for its coloured tiles
