Plaza de la Virgen

Also known as the Plaça de la Mare de Déu, this is the plaza next to the 

Basílica de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats, Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken. What you see above is the Basilica on the left and the back of the Valencia Cathedral on the right.

Swinging on around to the right we see the bell tower Miguelete that chimes for the cathedral. We are on the highest part of the city here and this is the tallest structure in the city. Behind me, opposite the Basilica, is the Palau de la Generalitat, The Palace of the Valencian Government. I'll show you this building in a separate post.

But back to the Miguelete tower. During the civil war in the 1930's, this bell tower was used by the local (republican) government to watch for bombers incoming.

Also in the plaza is a fountain with a naked bronze guy with his naked bronze lady helpers.

From the far side of the plaza it is easy to see the side of the Basilica and the lantern dome of the cathedral. The basilia, like most of the older buildings in the city dates from the 15th century. However, on this site was a Roman temple. This has been a place for worship for a very long time.

Here is an image of a corner of the cathedral shows was of the gargoyles.

Out in the plaza, as the sun was setting, we found a harpist serenading the crowd with Joaquin Rodrigo's adagio.

I'll leave you with this close view of the bell tower and the intricate carving near the top. The small domes in the foreground cover two of the chaels in the cathedral.