Torrent, Valencia

Torrent
Coat of Arms
Location
Coordinates : 39°26′20″N 0°27′56″W / 39.43889°N 0.46556°W / 39.43889; -0.46556
Administration
Country	Spain
Autonomous Community	Valencian Community
Province	Valencia
Comarca	Horta Sud
Mayor	Maria José Català Verdet (PP)
Geography
Land Area	69.32 km2
Altitude	66 m AMSL
Population
Population	74,616 (2006)
Density	1,076 hab./km2 (2006)
General information
Native name	Torrent (Valencian)
Spanish name	Torrente
Time zone	CET (GMT +1)
- summer	CEST (GMT +2)

Torrent is a city located within the metropolitan area of the city of Valencia. It is the largest municipality of the Horta Sud comarca, with 74,616 inhabitants (2006). It is situated some 7 km from Valencia city proper, to which it is connected via the metro. The two metro stations in Torrent are called Torrent and Torrent avinguda from the lines 1 and 5.

It is bordered by Aldaia, Alaquàs and Xirivella in the north, Picanya and Catarroja in the east, Alcàcer and Picassent in the south and Montserrat, Godelleta, Turís and Xiva in the West. All of the cities from the province of Valencia.

Government

The city mayor (as of 2007) is Maria José Català Verdet (Partido Popular).

Geography

There are only a few remarkable mountains in the city and none of them are very tall: El Vedat (142 AMSL), Morredondo (157 AMSL), Barret (142 AMSL), Cabezo de la Araña (228 m) and the Serra Perenxisa (329 AMSL). About a 20% of the territory is mountainous. Torrent is crossed by a gully (Barranc de Torrent) which flows into the Albufera.

Landmarks

The Medieval Tower was built by the Muslims in its origin and was part of an ancient castle. It was double-walled and had some underground passages in order to protect it.

The tower, which lays in a square, has a truncated pyramid shape and is 30 meters high, with 5 floors and a terrace where The Cross of the St. John of Jerusalem order and a Valencian "rat penat" are held on four upper corners. The access to the tower is through an exterior staircase connecting to a door at the height of the first floor. Around 1613 porches were built around the tower so the butchers, fruit sellers, etc. could have their market around the Tower. In 1847 it became the property of Torrent.

The tower has often been used as a prison throughout the history, and the porches have hosted the Courts in its upper floors since 1908 (when new ones were built). Under those porches, the Central Market was located. The porches were demolished in 1970. After its restoration the Tower houses two exhibition halls.

Sant Lluís Bertrán's Hermitage

The shrine dedicated to Sant Lluís Bertrán is a traditional and beloved church by all people in Torrent, since Sant Blai among other festivities are held in the hermitage. In 1634 the City Council tooks the agreement to build the chapel dedicated to Sant Lluis Bertran. After many changes and reconstructions -it served to military uses during the civil war- and was finally restored after the Spanish civil war.

Internally, it consists of a nave and two sides. The neoclassical facade is divided into three parts. The door has an arc with archivolt, St. Louis' image and a large rosette appear over the door. The bell is hexagonal base and construction was finished in 1829. It has four bells and a clock with three spheres that was located there in 1950.

Esglèsia de l'Assumpció The parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción was built in the 13th century, in the same place as the current one, but much smaller. Its rector attended the diocesan synods in the fourteenth century. A beautiful image of the "Verge del Pòpul", which disappeared in 1936, was likely the main image in the ancient parish. It has had many fires and thefts so the church that exists nowadays has had many restorations and modifications.

History

The village of Torrent was officially founded after the Reconquista although the tower and its fortification were built several centuries earlier. Archaeological research suggests that there were inhabitants in the zone in the Bronze Age.

External links

• Torrent municipal government, official website (Catalan) (Spanish)
• Map of Torrent, Spain (MSN Encarta)
• Map of Torrent, Spain (Satellite)
• Asociación Juvenil Vorell, Vorell, A young people Association in Torrent
• Federació Esportiva Municipal de Torrent, Local Sports Federation

v • d • e Municipalities of Horta Sud Albal · Alcàsser · Alfafar · Benetússer · Beniparrell · Catarroja · Llocnou de la Corona · Massanassa · Paiporta · Picassent · Sedaví · Silla