To find the origins of Christianity in the City of Valencia, you might have to begin your search at a cathedral consecrated in the name of the city’s patron saint. Its faded brick walls might give away its age and the baroque embellishments blooming across the borders of the entrance might be chipped but these do little to dent the importance of this cathedral in Valencia even today. Beneath its distinctive tiled dome is a side chapel that is in fact the first to be built in Spain.

Behind the centuries’ old walls stands the Basilica of the Virgin of the Helpless, known also as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken which arises from the alternate name for the Virgin, “Nuestra Senora de los Desemparados” or “Our Lady of the Forsaken”. She is one of 2 patron saints Valencia honors and with due pomp and grandeur. Ceiling high murals and frescoes of intricate detail can still be seen to reflect the intensity of the people’s faith. In fact, the Basilica can be seen as a true testament to the belief and culture passed down generations since the 17th Century.