The University of Valencia presented this morning the book Palacio de Valeriola. The History of Valencia in a Palace. The book, published by the Hortensia Herrero Foundation and Publicacions de la Universitat de València, was created by a team of professors from the University in collaboration with external researchers, under the coordination of Josep Montesinos, Honorary Professor at the University of Valencia and former Dean of the Faculty of Geography and History, among other academic positions.
The Valeriola Palace, which today houses the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre, is a unique place in Valencia, as within its walls it holds traces of nearly every period in the city’s history — from Roman times to the modern era, passing through the Middle Ages. Based on a research project in collaboration with the Hortensia Herrero Foundation, the publication explores the historical and artistic aspects of both the palace and its urban surroundings. Through various disciplines — archaeology, history, geography, society and art — it provides an interpretation of the city and the people who inhabited it, whose presence has left its imprint in every corner of this space.
The presentation took place this morning in the Roman Circus Hall at the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre. Speakers included: Alejandra Silvestre, Director of the Hortensia Herrero Foundation; Isabel Vázquez, Vice-Rector of Studies at the University of Valencia; Josep Montesinos, Honorary Professor and coordinator of the publication; and archaeologist Tina Herreros.
The History of Valencia in a Palace
“For the Foundation, today is a very important day because it represents, in a way, the culmination of the project we began in 2019, after acquiring this building and starting the excavation and restoration works. It is wonderful to see that this work has contributed to a larger purpose — reclaiming the history of Valencia with this space as a focal point,” said Alejandra Silvestre.
Isabel Vázquez highlighted “the combination of history and contemporary art that comes together in this Art Centre. It gives it very special characteristics, and I am delighted to be here representing the University. This project demonstrates the importance of collaboration between the University and cultural initiatives beyond the academic environment.”
Josep Montesinos began by expressing his gratitude “to everyone who contributed. It has been a long project, extended also due to the pandemic, but it allowed us to reflect on our discoveries, because we kept finding fascinating elements.”
Regarding the book, Montesinos explained: “Readers will discover the importance of this site in the history of the city, as the book situates the palace within its urban setting and across different historical periods (Roman, Jewish, Muslim…). The book covers the history of the building but also the Valeriola lineage and its origins. We studied family wills, we explored the assassination of Jerónimo Valeriola — a chapter that reads almost like a detective novel. It is a very extensive work, since in Valencia there is no other place where one can learn about the city’s history in such a complete way.”
Tina Herreros, the archaeologist in charge of the project, noted that she has worked in the Valeriola Palace since 2003. “Thanks to this project, we have been able to carry out an extraordinary archaeological intervention and bring to light one of the most important works of Roman Valentia: the Circus. One can truly appreciate the scale of the work and the effort involved. What is most important is not only the depth of the research already completed, but that the analysis of all the aspects we have studied opens the door to new research projects that will further enrich the archaeological heritage of the city.”