Museo del Corpus – Casa de les Roques

On a quiet street in the Barri del Carme, a short walk from the Serranos Towers, is one of València's lesser-known museums. The Casa de les Roques, today the Corpus Museum, safeguards the monumental floats, the roques, that star every year in the Corpus Christi procession.

A house with almost six centuries of history

The building was raised between 1435 and 1447, when the city approved construction of a shed near the Serranos Gate to store the floats and gear used in the procession. It is one of the very few medieval guild-and-festival buildings still used for its original purpose. Restored in the 1980s and expanded in 2006 with the gallery that shaped today's museum, it keeps a workshop-and-warehouse feel that sets it apart.

What to see

• The roques, large triumphal carts of carved and gilded wood, some from the 18th century, dedicated to Faith, the Immaculate Conception, Saint Vincent Ferrer or the Holy Chalice.
• The Cuca Fera, Saint George's dragon, giants and bigheads, and the fearsome Tarasca, figures that parade alongside the procession.
• The symbolic eagle and other pieces of festive imagery that show how religious spectacle was understood in medieval and Baroque València.

Practical tips

Entry is usually free, so it's one of the city's free things to do in València. It's a short walk from the Old Town centre, so it's easy to pair with La Lonja de la Seda or the nearby Centre del Carme. Check opening times before you go: it opens in specific slots and sometimes closes while the festival is being prepared.

Insider tip

A local's tip: València's Corpus has been celebrated since 1355, and the procession, with its roques rolling through the old streets, follows an almost medieval script. If you visit the museum and then come back on the festival day (usually in June), you'll recognise every figure in motion: watching the Tarasca or the roques you saw standing still in the warehouse come out is a thrill very few tourists experience. And if you enjoy these festive traditions, the Museu Faller pairs well with it for the city's festive side.