Picassent
Picassent is a Valencian municipality located in the administrative region of L’Horta Sud. It forms part of the Valencian metropolitan area, and lies 17 km from the city of Valencia. It has a population of about 20,000 inhabitants and is located at an altitude of 50 m above sea level.
Gastronomy:
“Arroz en perol” (with beans, turnips and pork) and the popular sweet “pilota” (with almonds, bread, sugar and cinnamon) are the most representative of Picassent’s dishes. A good place to sample typical Valencian cuisine is the town of Picassent. The village’s cuisines includes traditional paella, stew, chickpea stew, “arrós fesols i amb naps” (rice with beans and turnip) and meat known as “l’espardenyà”.
Places of interest:
The Church of Saint Christopher, the Hermitage of Our Lady of Vallivana (both from the 18th century) and the Espioca Tower are Picassent’s main monuments. The landscapes of “la Cueva del Águila” and “la Cueva de Moneders”, “el Motlló de l’Almut”, “la Fuente de Ninyerola” and “la fuente de l’Omet” are the most notable in Picassent. Perhaps the most important monument is the 11th century, Muslim Espioca Tower, which is located in Picassent Castle. It is a defensive fortification that was also used as a watchtower. The 17th century Parish Church of Saint Christopher is predominantly neoclassical and stands on the former site of a Muslim mosque. It is one of the most valued and most loved buildings in the village.
Festivities:
The main festivities take place on 10th July, and are held in honour of Saint Christopher (accompanied by a week of bullfighting activities). On 8th and 9th September, festivities are held in honour of Our Lady of La Vallivana and the Christ of Faith. Activities include a floral offering, procession, agricultural machinery fair, etc. The traditional festivities are held on 9th October, the Valencia Region Day, during which the victorious campaign of James I of Aragon is celebrated.
