Plaza de la Virgen
Bronze fountain of a river god ringed by eight maidens pouring water for an ancient farmers' court.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Plaza de la Virgen in Valencia centers on the Tribunal de las Aguas, a farmers' water court so old nobody can date its first sitting, which still convenes most Thursdays at noon by the cathedral's Doorway of the Apostles to rule on water disputes with no lawyers, no paperwork and no appeal. You'll hear how the practice may reach back to the region's earliest irrigation canals, and how the plaza's bronze fountain, a reclining river god ringed by eight maidens, turns out to be a portrait of the very canals the tribunal still governs. Stand by the doorway around midday if you want to see the ritual itself.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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