A gateway steeped in history
Among the narrow streets of the Barrio del Carmen, in the city’s old town, you’ll find a mysterious arch. Now simply a passageway, the Portal de la Valldigna once marked the entrance to Valencia’s Moorish quarter. It was opened in the Arab wall in 1400 after the Christian conquest.
Its name recalls that the procuration house of the Royal Monastery of Santa María de la Valldigna once stood here, and throughout history, it also witnessed key milestones.
During the Valencian Golden Age (15th century), the German master printer Lamberto Palmart set up Spain’s first printing press nearby. The first mental asylum in Valencian history, the “Hospital dels Folls i dels Ignoçents”, was established following an incident that took place here. After preventing the stoning of a mentally ill man, Father Joan Gilabert Jofré launched an awareness campaign that resulted in its opening in 1409.
As you can see, the Portal de la Valldigna is much more than a simple archway.
Why visit the Portal de la Valldigna
- It is one of the main surviving traces of Arab Valencia
- It is a spot of great importance throughout history
- It is a charming corner you’ll definitely want to capture
- It is an unmissable stop on your walk around the Barrio del Carmen
What to see at the Portal de la Valldigna
Don’t just walk through the portal. Look around and don’t miss a thing:
- Altarpiece of the Virgin
Above the portal, the original altarpiece of the Royal Monastery of Santa María de la Valldigna, dedicated to the Virgin, is reproduced in ceramics. It was placed here in the 18th century to bless those passing by.
- The birth of printing
A plaque commemorates that one of the first Spanish incunabula was printed here: “Obres e trobes en lahors de la Verge María”.
