Real Iglesia de San Juan del Hospital

Down a quiet alley in Ciutat Vella, beside the old Xerea gate, the Royal Church of San Juan del Hospital is the oldest Christian church in València. Few tourists come in: behind its plain façade sits an almost intact medieval complex, church, courtyard, chapel and a cemetery that hides remains of the Roman circus of Valentia.

A little history

In 1238, after the conquest of the city, James I granted land beside an Arab palace to the Military Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem. As was their custom, they built a full complex: hospital, knights' residence, cemetery and church, essentially finished by around 1261. The result is a blend of transitional Romanesque, early Valencian Gothic and later Baroque additions.

What to see

• The single nave has a pointed barrel vault and a five-sided apse, almost monastic in its austerity.
• The Chapel of Saint Barbara, with a window crowned by the Hohenstaufen coat of arms: a black eagle on a gold ground.
• The courtyard and medieval cemetery, where the walls of the Roman circus beneath the church come to light.
• The Baroque side chapels with 17th-century frescoes.

Practical tips

Admission is free and crowds are rare, so it's a good visit at any time of day. It sits close to l'Almoina and the Cathedral, so you can string them together on a walk through the old town. It's still an active place of worship, so keep your voice down.

An insider curiosity

INSIDER TIP: the Chapel of Saint Barbara holds the tomb of Constance Hohenstaufen (1230-1307), Empress of the Empire of Nicaea and illegitimate daughter of Frederick II. She was the one who introduced devotion to Saint Barbara to Europe. A Byzantine empress ending up buried in a corner of València is one of the least-told stories in the city.

Other downtown churches worth a visit include Santa Catalina and San Esteban. Our guide to things to do in València and free things to do cover more ground, and the secrets section has more out-of-the-way places.