We found the history of San Juan del Hospital to be most interesting. San Juan was the first church built after the reconquest of Valencia from the Moors by King James I of Aragon in 1238. We especially liked the austere style of this church. We learned this Romanesque style is called “Cistercian austerity”.
A daughter of a Holy Roman Emperor came to live in Valencia. She was very devoted to Saint Barbara and had a chapel built to honor Saint Barbara. Saint Barbara is the patron saints of pyrotechnics, and to this day, each year the Falleras Mayores of Valencia come to the chapel on the first day of Fallas to pray that the festivities are held without incident.
On the day we visited San Juan del Hospital there was a wedding in progress, and after our visit we heard this is an extremely popular church for weddings and baptisms. Although we could not thoroughly explore the church, the wedding was delightful and added to the charm of San Juan del Hospital.
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Our Tapestry 