It is that time of year again in Valencia. Gunpowder can be smelt in every street and huge, majestic statues can be eyed everywhere. But those are not bronze or marble classic sculpt, but ones built using much more mundane materials, such as polystyrene and cork. The reason for that is simple: those pieces of art are fated to be consumed by a raging fire.
The origin of this festivity can be traced back to the XIX Century. Traditionally, carpenters used wood lamps (called ‘Parots’) to illuminate their workshops in winter, that were later burnt on the street on St. Joseph’s Day. In time, the Parots started to become more complex and adorned, until they became what we know today as ‘Ninots’; true masterpieces used to satirize celebrities, politicians and recent news.
Festivities start on the 1st of March, at the Council’s plaza, very close to the Vincci Lys 4* Hotel, with the ‘Mascletás’ – spectacular pyrotechnical exhibitions place daily, at 14:00h.taking
At our hotel, we specially enjoy the Bullfighting activities that take place during the Fallas. Valencia’s Bullring is very close to our location and several renowned bullfighters are hosted in the hotel during the festivities. We have even organized gastronomic days related to Bullfighting.
The climax of the Fallas is the ‘Nit del Foc’ (Night of Fire), that takes place in the evening of March 18, and ends with the ‘Cremá’, when all the Ninots are consumed by fire, with the exception of the winning entry, in a breathtaking fire show.
Another remarkable event is the Flower Offering to Virgen de los Desamparados, taking place on 17 and 18 of March. The Fallas guilds take to the streets, dressed in their beautiful regional outfits, and bringing flower offerings to the Cathedral. Those flowers are then used to make intricate tapestries that will remain there for the festivity’s duration. Vincci Palace 4* Hotel guests are very fortunate, because the hotel is located right in the middle of the parade’s route, and can enjoy the colourful spectacle from a privileged point of view.
