Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/288

 VALENCIA

252

VALENCIA

them from the city, he was not strong enough to hold it. The Christians set fire to it, abandoned it, and the Almoravid Masdali took possession of it on 5 May, 1109. Jaime the Conqueror, with an army composed of French, English, Germans, and Italians, laid siege to Valencia in 1238, and on 28 September of that year forced a surrender. 50,000 Moors left the city and on 9 October the king, followed by his retinue and army, took possession. The principal mosque was purified. Mass was celebrated, and the "Te Deum" sung. The see was re-established, ten parishes being formed in the city; the Knights Templar and Hospitallers who had helped in the conquest, also Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Mercederians, and Cister- cians, opened houses. The Church of San Vincente outside the walls was rebuilt and beside it aho.'ipital. The consecration of the Dominican Berenguer de Castellbisbal, bishop-elect of the See of Valencia after the reconquest, was prevented because of the dispute between the Archbishops of Toledo and Tarra- gona for jurisdiction over the new see. Gregory IX decided in favour of Tarragona, and, as Berenguer had been appointed Bishop of Gerona in the meantime, Ferrer de San Martin, provost of Tarragona (1239- 43), was appointed Bishop of Valencia. He was succeeded by the Aragonese Arnau de Peralta (1243- 48) who drove the Bishop of Segovia, Pedro Garcps, from his see. The third Bishop of Valencia, the Dominican Andres Albalat (1248-76), founder of the Carthusian monastery, began the construction of the cathedral; this was continued and finished by his successors: Gasperto de Botonach, Abbot of San Felin (1276-88) ; the .\ragonese Dominican, Raimundo de Pont (1288-1312); the Catalonian Raimundo Gast6n (1312-48); Hugo de Fenolet, formerlv Bishop of Vich (1348-56) ; and Vidal de Blanes (1356-69). Jaime de Arag6n, Bishop of Tortosa and first cousin of Pedro

IV, succeeded to the see in 1369. Hitherto the chap- ter had elected the bishops, but owing to the dissen- sions at the death of Bishop Blanes, Urban IV reserved the right to name the bishops until 1.523, when the right of presentation was granted to the Spanish kings. At the death of Jaime (1396), the antipope Benedict XIII kept the see vacant for more than two years, and then appointed Hugo de Lupia, Bishop of Tortosa (1398-1427). He was succeeded by Alfonso de Borja (Calixtus III). The latter appointed Rod- rigo de Borja (.-Vlexander VI) to the See of Valencia; Rodrigo obtained from Innocent VIII the rank of metropohtan for his see (1492) and, after he was raised to the papacy, confirmed this decree. He also raised the sludium generalc of Valencia to the rank of a university, conferring upon it all the privileges pos- sessed by other universities. Csesar Borgia bore the title of Archbishop of Valencia, and was succeeded by Juan de Borja y Llansol, Pedro Luis de Borja, and Alfonso de Arag6n, illegitimate son of Ferdinand the Catholic and also .\rchbishop of Saragossa (1512-20).

The episcopate of the Augustinian St. Thomas of VilLanova (1.544-.55), foimder of the Colegio de la Prcsentaci6n de Ntra. Senora, called also d(^ Santo Tomds, was one of the most notable in the history of Valencia. St. Thomas was beatified (1619) by Paul

V, and canonized (1658) by Alexander VII. His successors, Francisco de Navarra and Martin de Ayala, who attended the Council of Trent, were also men of distinction. Perhaps the mo.st noted of all the archbishops of Valencia was the Patriarch Juan de Ribera (1569-1611). He decided to expel the Moors from the city, after hiiving exhausted all po.^ssible means to bring thom to submission. He founded the Colegio de Corpus Christ i and furthered the work of monastic reform, especially among the Capuchins, whom he had brought to Valencia. Many holy men shed lustre upon this era, including St. T,ouis Bertram, the Franciscan NicoUs Factor, the Carmelite Fran- cisco de Nino Jesus, and the Minim Caspar Bono.

The archbishop and inquisitor general, Juan Tomas Rocaberti, publicly punished the Governor of Valencia for interfering in ecclesiastical jurisdiction: Andres Mayoral (1738-69) improved the system of charities and public instruction, founded the Colegio de las Escuelas Pias, and the Casa de Ensenanza for girls. He collected a library of 12,000 volumes; this was burnt in the war of independence. The See of Valen- cia has had two cardinals. Barrio y Ferndndez and Monescillo y Sancho.

The cathedral in the early days of the reconquest was called Iglesia Mayor, then Seo {Sedes), and at the present time, in virtue of the papal concession of 16 October, 1 866, it is called the Basilica tnetropolitana. It is situated in the centre of the ancient Roman city where some believe the temple of Diana stood. In Gothic times it seems to have been dedicated to the most Holy Saviour; the Cid dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin; Jaime the Conqueror did likewise, leaving in the main chapel the image of the Blessed Virgin which he carried with him and which is believed to be the one which is now preserved in the sacristy. The Moorish mosque, which had been converted into a Christian church by the conqueror, appeared unwor- thy of the title of the cathedral of Valencia, and in 1262 Bishop Andres de Albalat laid the corner-stone of the new Gothic building, with three naves; these reach only to the choir of the present building. Bishop Vidal de Blanes built the magnificent chapter hall, and Jaime de Arag6n added the tower, called "Miguelete" because it was blessed on St. INIichael's day (1418), which is about 166 feet high and fini.shed at the top with a belfry. In the fifteenth century the dome was added and the naves extended back of the choir, uniting the building to the tower and forming a main entrance. .A.rchbishop Luis Alfonso de los Cameros began the building of the main chapel in 1674; the walls were decorated with marbles and bronzes in the over-ornate style of that decadent period. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the German Conrad Rudolphus built the fagade of the main entrance. The other two doors lead into the transept ; one, that of the Apostles in pure pointed Gothic, dates from the fourteenth century, the other is that of the PaUu. The additions made to the back of the cathedral detract from its height. The eigh- teenth-century restoration rounded the pointed arches, covered the Gothic columns with Corinthian pillars, and redecorated the walls. The dome has no lan- tern, its plain ceiling being pierced by two large side windows. There are four chapels on either side, besides that at the end and those that open into the choir, the transept, and the presbyterium. It con- tains many paintings by eminent artists. A magnifi- cent silver reredos, which was behind the altar, was carried away in the war of 1808, and converted into coin to meet the expenses of the campaign. Behind the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is a very beauti- ful little Renaissance chapel built by Calixtus III. Beside the cathedral is the chapel dedicated to the "Virgen de Ins dcsaniparados".

In 1409 a hospital was founded and placed under the patron.ige of Santa Maria de los Inocentes; to this was attached a confraternity devoted to recovering the bodies of the unfriended dead in the city and within a radius of three miles around it. .\t the end of the fifteenth century this confraternity separated from the hospital, and continued its work tmder the name of ''Cofradia para el limparo de los desampara- dos". Philii) IV and the Duke de .Vrcos suggested the building of the new chapel, and in 1647 the Viceroy Conde de Orpesa, who had been preserved from the bubonic plague, insisted on carrying out their project. The Blessed Virgin under the title of "Virgen de los de.samparados " was proclaimed patroness of the city, and .\rchbishop Pedro de Frbina, on 31 June, lt),")2. laid the corner-stone of the new chapel of this name.