The most beautiful fresco paintings in Valencia

Why not start with the largest collection of frescoes in all of Spain? You will find it at the Real Colegio Seminario de Corpus Christi (La Nau, 2), better known as El Patriarca, a jewel of Renaissance architecture. The vaults and dome of its church and its Communion chapel are covered by no less than 2,680 m² of paintings by Bartolomé Matarana. Do not forget that the College houses a fabulous museum that holds works by artists of the stature of Caravaggio, El Greco, and many others, in addition to a spectacular collection of 16th-century Flemish tapestries.

From the most extensive fresco paintings to the oldest. A short distance away is the Church of San Juan del Hospital (Trinquete de Caballeros, 5), founded by the Knights of the Order of the Hospital of Jerusalem after the reconquest of Balansiya in the 13th century. The frescoes in the Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel are a unique example of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. Equally exceptional are the remains of mural paintings on the arches covering some of the tombs in its small attached cemetery, the only medieval urban cemetery in Valencia.

Continue to the Almudín (Plaza de San Luis Beltrán, 2), a building from the 15th century of great importance in the Middle Ages, as wheat was stored here for sale. This function is reflected in the fresco paintings on its interior walls, which show the arrival of the wheat, the guilds in charge of its distribution, and other popular and religious scenes from the 17th and 18th centuries.

A group of musician angels on a starry blue background covers the dome of the Cathedral's high altar. This is the first example of Renaissance painting in Spain, commissioned by Rodrigo de Borgia (the future Pope Alexander VI) to the Italian artists Francesco Pagano and Paolo San Leocadio in the 15th century. These beautiful frescoes remained hidden for centuries behind a second Baroque dome, which helped their preservation. Now, they have been rescued and restored, returning the chapel to its former splendor.

The Basilica dedicated to the patron saint of Valencia, located next to the Cathedral, also features an impressive fresco that decorates its grandiose dome. The work of Antonio Palomino, it is an excellent example of Spanish Baroque mural art. It depicts the Virgin pleading for the helpless before the Holy Trinity, amidst choirs of angels and up to 75 identifiable figures, including Saint Joseph and the Apostles.

Also called the "Valencian Sistine Chapel." The decoration of the Church of San Nicolás (Caballeros, 35) is a masterpiece of the Valencian Baroque. More than 1,900 m² of frescoes, the work of Antonio Palomino and his disciple Dionís Vidal, completely cover the interior with scenes from the lives of Saint Nicholas of Bari and Saint Peter Martyr.

We end the tour with the Baroque frescoes by Antonio Palomino that decorate the Iglesia de los Santos Juanes (Mercado Square), recently restored.