Valentia

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

VALENTIA taketh its name from the Metropolis thereof, being a faire Mart-Towne, and of great antiquitie: On the South it looketh toward Murcia: on the West toward both the Castiles: on the North toward Aragon: and on the East the Sea beateth on it. It hath a more temperate Ayre, and a more pleasant Climate than any other part of Spaine: yea the Kingdome of Valentia hath such a gentle Climate, (the warme Westerne windes breathing upon it) that at any time, even at Christmas, and in the Moneth of Ianuarie the Inhabitants may carrie Posies of flowres in their hands, as they doe in other places in April and May. It is an excellent Country, having plenty of all things, as Sugar, Wine, Oyle, Corne, and divers other fruites. It hath Mynes of Silver in a place which they call Buriel, betweene Valentia and Dertosa. And there are stones found which have, as it were, golden veines and lines running through them, in a place which is called Aioder. At the Promontorie Finistratum there are Iron Mynes, and neere to Segorbia there are some signes remaining of a Quarrie, out of which Marble was heretofore digged and carried to Rome. In some places Alablaster is digged up, but Alume, Tinne, Marking-stone, and Chalke is found every where. The Moores by a long succession of Dukes held the Citie of Valentia for a long time, though it had beene often besieged by the Kings of Aragon, untill Iames the first, King of Aragon by a long siege obtained it, and enforced their Captaine Zaen Maure together with fiftie thousand Moores to depart the Citie, and to flie unto Denia, carrying with them their Gold, Silver, Armour, and Houshold-stuffe. Valentia being thus forsaken, King Iames sent a Colonie to replenish it againe. The Colony consisted of Catalonians and Aragonians, their Captaine being Berengarius Palatiol Bishop of Barcelona: Vidalus Cavelia Bishop of Ossa: Peter Ferdinandes d' Acagra, and Simon de Vrrea Knights; they distributed the whole Citie among the new Inhabitants, which were 384 families, according to their severall dignities, and adorn'd the Common-wealth with new Lawes. This Countrie obtained the title of a Kingdome in the yeare of Christ 788, as Ortelius writeth out of Petrus Metinensis, & Petrus Antoninus Beuterus. The Historie hath it thus: Hisen King of Corduba being dead, there succeeded him in the yeare of Christ 788 his sonne Alca, whose uncle Aodala Lord of Valentia called to him his Brother (whose name was Culema, and had beene disinherited) out of Taviar; these two Brethren uniting their forces, came to Corduba, and endeavouring to expell their Nephew out of his Kingdome, were overcome in battell, so that Aodala fled for his safety, and returned to Valentia: But the chiefe of the Moores interposing themselves betweene the Uncles and the Nephew, they brought them to that agreement, that Aodala should write himselfe King of Valentia, and that Culema should receive every moneth out of the revenues of Valentia a thousand of Moradines (which was a kinde of money) for the maintenance of his table, and five thousand Moradines more for the provision of other necessaries. To which agreement when Aodala had consented, hee first stiled himselfe the King of Valentia. The ancient Inhabitants of Valentia were the Hedetani, which (as Ptolemie thinketh) were the same with the Sedentani. Secondly the Biscargitani, whose Metropolis was Biscargis, whereof there is some mention made in the Inscription of Caesars coyne, as Hub. Goltzius witnesseth: and these seeme to have beene of the Heditanians, seeing Ptolemie names Biscargis to be amongst them. Thirdly the Leonicenses, whose Metropolis Ptolemie cals Leonica, and placeth it also among the Heditanians. Fourthly the Co••stani, from whom Pliny nameth the Countrie of Contestania in Tarraconia. Their memory is preserved by the Towne Contayna, or, as some pronounce it, Contentaina, at the head of that River, at the mouth whereof the Town Oliva is seated over against the Pityusian Ilands. Fiftly, the Lusones, whom Appianus placeth by the River Iberus in Iberia, neere to the Numantines, but Strabo at the Fountaines of Tagus. Sixthly, the Lobitani, whose Metropolis Ptolemie cals Lobetum, and which Beuterus writeth was first called Turia, afterward Avarazin, and last of all as at this day Albarazin. Seventhly, The Torboletae in Iberia, neere to the Saguntines, from whom Ptolemie calleth the Citie Turbula, now perhaps called Torres. Lastly the Celtiberi, so called by Plinie lib. 3. cap. 3. Pomponius Mela lib. 3. cap. 13. and other Latines, but by Ptolemie Celtiberes; for though some doe place them in Old Castile, yet the most in Valentia. Among the Cities of this Kingdome Valentia (commonly called Valencia) is the Metropolis, and a Bishops Seate: It was built by King Romus, as Vasaeus and others write, and from him called Rome: And the Romans having afterward amplified and enlarged it, did call it Valentia, a name signifying the same which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Greeke doth. But this seemes a fable to Resendius, who reporteth, that it was built and so named by the Portugals and other Souldiers. It is seated in the innermost part of the Bay of Sucronia, on the right-hand Banke of the River Turia. It is famous for its manners, institutions, and m 1.6 profession of all Arts both Liberall and Mechanick. It is happie in great wits, and desirous to preserve peace and concord within it selfe. It hath many Gentle-men in it, and is very rich in Merchandize. Wee will not passe by that which L. Marinaeus Siculus noteth concerning the Valentians: They have (saith hee) a custome every yeare on the Feast of Saint Matthew, that having made many supplications and prayers, they repaire to the place of execution, and there they take up the bodies of those who have suffered death, whether they be hanged up, or lye on the ground, gathering also together their scattered bones, if any be; and by and by having laid all things on a Beere, they carrie them to the common burying-place of the Citie, and there with sacrifices and prayers doe bury them. Petrus Medinensis relates, that there are in this Citie ten thousand springs of water. Heretofore on the left-hand banke of Turia not farre from Valentia stood Saguntum, which Ptolemie affirmeth to be a Citie of the Heditani, Strabo and Plinie doe place it a mile off from the Sea; Strabo calleth it Saguntus, Stephanus Zacynthus, and Antoninus corruptly Secundum and Secunthum. The most doe thinke it now to be the same with Morvedere, being so called, as some suppose, from the ancient wals thereof. Appianus maketh it the Colonie of the Zacynthi; some doe suppose, that Saguntis the Sonne of Hercules was the builder of it, and some would have it named from the Iberian Sagi. Silius the Italian Poet describeth the situation of it in his first Booke: Livie in his 30 Book saith, that the wals of Saguntum were cemented with Lime and dirt mingled together, which was an ancient kinde of building. It seemeth by Plinie, that the Saguntini did heretofore reverence Diana, being brought thither by the Zacynthians their Progenitors, two hundred yeares before the destruction of Troy. Pomponius Mela saith, that the Saguntians are faithfull in the midst of troubles and adversitie. Concerning the overthrow and devastation of this noble Citie, which through their admirable constancie and great fidelitie towards the Romans happened in the yeare from the building of the Citie 535, (M. Lucius Salinator, and L. Aemilius Paulus being Consuls) you may reade and have recourse to Livie, lib. 21. Polybius, lib. 3. Orosius, lib. 4. cap. 14. Eutropius, lib. 3. Florus, lib. 2. cap. 6. Silius the Italian, lib. 1. Valerius Maximus, lib. 6. cap. 6. Augustine, lib. 3. de Civit. Dei, cap. 20. Aemilius Probus in Hannibal, Cicero in his Philippicks, and many others. There are also at this day these famous places in Valentia: First Segorbia, which Ptolemie and Strabo, as also Vasaeus, Clusius, Tarapha, Emanuel Henricus, and Augustus his coyne doe call Segobriga. Plinie also calleth the Inhabitants Segobricenses, placing them in the chiefe part of Celtiberia. But Moralis thinketh, that Segobriga should be called Injesta, or Cabeca el Griego: and Ioannes Mariana is of the same opinion. Hieronimus Surita professeth that hee knew not where this Segorbia was. Secondly, there is Denia, called by Cicero and Plinie (as Florianus, Morialis, and Clusius will have it) Dianium, and Dianium Stipendarium. Thirdly, Incibilis, so called by Livie, and by Frontinus Indibilis, where Scipio put Hanno Captaine of the Carthaginians to flight: It is thought by Florianus to bee Chelva. Fourthly, that Towne which Plinie cals Illici, Ptolemie Ilicias, Pomponius Illice, and in the Inscription of coyne Ilce Colonia; Ptolemie also cals it Illicitani (whence commeth the appellation of the Illicitane Bay) and now some call it Alicanta, and others Elche, which commeth somewhat neerer to truth. Fifthly Belgida, a Citie of Celtiberia which still keepeth its old name. Sixthly Leria, which Ptolemie cals Hedeta, (whence the Heditani have their name) Clusius and Moralis Oliete, and later Writers Liria. Seventhly the Towne which Florianus cals Orcelis, and Gomecius and Clusius Horivela and Oriola, but Nebrissensis Zamora. Eightly, the Towne which Livie and Ptolemie call Bigerra, Beuterus and Vasaus Bejar, and Clusius Villena. Ninthly the Towne which Strabo cals Setabis, Ancient Stones Satabis, (as Clusius witnesseth) and is now called according to Florianus his opinion Xativa. This Countrie hath many Rivers,* 1.7 and especially Turia, which Pomponius calleth Duria, and Ptolemie Dorium. The Inhabitants doe keepe the Arabick word, calling it Guetalabiar, which signifies pure Water. This River bringeth great commodities to those places by which it floweth. There is also the River Xucar (called of old Sucron and Surus) which riseth out of the Mountaines of Orespeda. Valentia hath two Mountaines, which are called Mariola and Pennagolosa, which being full of divers sorts of rare hearbs and plants, doe cause a great number of Physicians and Herbalists to resort unto them out of divers parts of Spaine, in regard of the rarities which are found there. The Citie of Valentia being venerable for antiquity, hath many ancient Marbles which remaine to posteritie, engraven with Roman inscriptions, some of which may be seene in Beuterus, Ambrosius Moralis, Hottomannus and others. In the Citie of Saguntum, now called Morvedre there was a Theater, a Scene, and many other Reliques of antiquitie, as the Sepulchres of the Sergii, of L. Galba, and Sergius Galba, and other Romans, with the stones whereof a Monasterie was built for the Friars of the Order of the Trinitie. Valentia hath a famous Universitie in the Citie so called, and also an other Universitie at Gandia, which was not long since erected and founded by the Duke of Gandia, that the Fathers of the Society of Iesus (of which Society hee became one himselfe) might studie there. The Citie of Valentia, in regard of its government of the Common-wealth, doth excell all the Cities in Spaine. The Countrey wherein this Citie is seated is inhabited, for the most part, by a Nation which are descended from the Moores, and therefore they doe yet retaine their Ancestours speech and manner of life. That is not to bee omitted which M. Tully doth speake in his last Oration against Verres, in the praise of Valentia: Valentinorum (saith hee) hominum honestissimorum testimonio, that is, by the testimonie of the Valentians who are most honest men. Much silke is made in this Kingdome. Valentia (as Olivarius Valentinus writeth) hath great store of traffique and trading: for divers sorts of wares are exported from thence, as silke-thread of all colours, and raw silke as it comes from the Silke-worme, the best cloth also is carried from thence into the Isles called Baleares, and into Sicilie and Sardinia: Besides, there is exported from thence Rice, Wheate, Sugar, Raizins, Figges, and preserv'd fruites into many Countries in Europe.