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Valencia - The autonomous region of Valencia is comprised of three provinces: Castellon, Valencia and Alicante, and it occupies the central portion of Spain's eastern coastline. Wide fine sand beaches, year round gentle climate, endless sunshine and the sparkling Mediterranean makes this a region exceptionally popular with tourists.
Valencia has a well developed culture of its own that can be traced back to prehistoric cave paintings and to the ancient Iberian civilization that flourished here and produced such extraordinary sculptural works as the Dama de Elche (Lady of Elche). The Romans left their mark, notably in Sagunto, where a well preserved Roman theater still survives. The Arabs bequeathed their castles and their architecture to Valencia, and to this day the mock battles between Moors and Christians are a much-loved fiesta throughout the region. Valencia's other fiestas are equally colourful, for Valencians love music and fireworks. When it comes to celebrating, the people of this region are joyful and showy to the point of ostentation (witness the famous Las Fallas festival in the city of Valencia) and might explain why Baroque architecture struck such strong roots in the area.
Text courtesy of the Tourist Office of Spain
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