Saturday, January 28th, 2017
Just as a footnote before I start talking about our tour.........
During our first week in Spain, while looking for a place to live we spent one day driving south to Javea. On the drive back while heading North from Javea back to Valencia (about 80km) is a coastal road between Denia and Oliva which is a nondescript piece of road. Flat, straight, fairly busy with traffic, and thick on both sides with orchards and orange trees. At regular intervals along the road the small lanes disappear into the orchards. At the entrance of each of these lanes stood young women, in various states of undress. Some were standing, others had a chair, most were smoking, some seemed to be listening to their iPods or reading a book.....I was surprised when I first noticed them but I figured and learned later that they are ALL "working women".
Just as a footnote before I start talking about our tour.........
During our first week in Spain, while looking for a place to live we spent one day driving south to Javea. On the drive back while heading North from Javea back to Valencia (about 80km) is a coastal road between Denia and Oliva which is a nondescript piece of road. Flat, straight, fairly busy with traffic, and thick on both sides with orchards and orange trees. At regular intervals along the road the small lanes disappear into the orchards. At the entrance of each of these lanes stood young women, in various states of undress. Some were standing, others had a chair, most were smoking, some seemed to be listening to their iPods or reading a book.....I was surprised when I first noticed them but I figured and learned later that they are ALL "working women".
So we (22 of us) met our tour guide at the La Lonja (Silk Exchange) to start our "Sex in the City" tour. He told us the following:
"In Christian Spain, Valencia seems to have been the first city to regulate prostitution. The first documents date from 1311, pimps and procuresses were ordered to leave town because procuring was punished more harshly then prostitution. The first statues of the public brothel (mancebía) in Valencia, date from 1325, when King Jaume II at the urge of alderman and magistrates (jurats) established a large "red-light" district (poble) comprising several streets. Harlots. be they public or secret women, were ordered to live their or face expulsion from town.
Here is a map of "old town' Valencia. The "red-light" district was from Calle Padre Huerfanos (left of the Torres de Sorranos) continuing left on Calle Blanquerias and then left onto Calle Corona (just before the Torres de Quart) turning left on Calle Baja which runs into Calle Padre Huerfanos.
Jews and Muslims faced the death penalty if they laid with Christian women, prostitutes or not. Their visits to municipal brothels seems to have been rare because prostitutes and brothel-keepers faced the same death penalty if non-christians were found frequenting prostitutes"
Here is a map of "old town' Valencia. The "red-light" district was from Calle Padre Huerfanos (left of the Torres de Sorranos) continuing left on Calle Blanquerias and then left onto Calle Corona (just before the Torres de Quart) turning left on Calle Baja which runs into Calle Padre Huerfanos.
Jews and Muslims faced the death penalty if they laid with Christian women, prostitutes or not. Their visits to municipal brothels seems to have been rare because prostitutes and brothel-keepers faced the same death penalty if non-christians were found frequenting prostitutes"
"The first house of repentant prostitutes (casa de las arrepentidas) was founded in Valencia in 1345. The founder was a women named Na Soriana, who belonged to the Order of Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis.
During the month of Easter - or perhaps the period of Lent (our guide's English wasn't that good and well our Spanish just ain't there yet), the prostitutes were all sent to convents to live and repent. Retired prostitutes also went to live in convents. This and the fact that many families sent daughters they couldn't afford to raise to convents meant that convents were not the pious places we think they are.
All of the following are in public view on the outside walls of the La Lonja!
THREE NUDES BEATING EACH OTHER WITH BROOMS
On the outside walls of the La Lonja, in what is known as the "porch of sins", in the sight of the Virgin Mary and with the child Jesus we saw this scene of three completely naked people who seem to be hitting each other with brooms. We know that witchcraft was persecuted at the time however it sure seems like they are involved in some type of sexual ritual.
On the same "porch of sins" is a beast doing what some men wish they could do.
Also for some unknown reason a man is doing a tree?
MAN FORNICATES WITH WALL
In the Middle ages, lust was perhaps the most punished capital sin. At the time of building the La Lonja prostitution was rooted in the population of Valencia and thus seems to be why many statues and gargoyles imagery are on the walls of the La Lonja. In this statue on the main facade is a man fornicating with his own building, the most important civic building in the city. Maybe it was his way to F-you to the city?
NUDE WOMEN TOUCHES HER GENITALS
Once again we see lust. A completely naked women who touches herself with both hands. While it lacks sensuality and eroticism is does recreate the act (sinful according to the morality of the time) of masturbation. It might be the most recognized and surprising figures, at first glance, on the Silk Market.
IS THIS ANGEL DOING WHAT I THINK HE IS DOING?
This is one of the strangest gargoyles on the walls of the Silk Market, which happens to face the Central Market. An Angel takes his penis and directs it into a vase, which he is holding with his other hand. This is yet another of these figures laden with obscenity which look at the street below. Many people who happen to notice these stand and wonder, what the heck is the meaning?
We then walked from the La Lonja to the St. Nicolas church. Here he told this story. Supposedly, Nicolas was born to a wealthy family in Patara, Lycia, Turkey. His parents died, and he inherited a considerable sum of money, but he kept none of it. In the most famous story about his life, is that he saw a man who was so poor he had to put his three daughters into prostitution. St. Nicolas decided to give them some gold coins and threw them down the chimneys to help keep them out of prostitution.....and they were caught in stockings drying in the fireplaces. Hmmm the start of the Christmas tradition of hanging stockings! Apparently he is also known to have been the patron saint to bank managers, prostitutes and sailors.
We then walked to Casa Natal of the aristocrat Bienvenida "Lady Buck" Perez. She has quite a history, read her story. At this location plaque was placed on the wall and it became the "Ruta por le Valencia Erotica".
While walking around, one the the friends we've meet, who organized this tour, Jean (John) posed in front of these car bumpers. Beth turned her back on this photo. ( Not really - she was ahead of the crowd)
Then we walked over to Borges street named after a Spanish Pope Alexander VI born Roderic Borgia, who was controversial because he acknowledged fathering several children by his mistress.
While discussing other topics the guide gave us the "Casa York - Gomas Higiénicas de las mejores marcas extraneras" information about the old condoms. They were designed to be washed and reused. Early recycling?
We saw some graffiti on the walk in the Barrio del Carmen
From here we walked to the Generalitat Valencia it is a government building. This image is on the outside of that building
Next on the tour was the outside of the Valencia Cathedral
While all of this erotica may seem to indicate a lascivious Valencia, history suggests that since people couldn't read, they put sculptures outside of building to let everyone know what was sinful. The inside of the buildings do not contain such carvings.
Last we saw an image I have posted before. But I found out that she is a famous cabaret entertainer Rosita Amores.
Enjoy the short video of her singing Valencian!
We stopped in at the Cafe de las Horas, pre-lunch. We played a game of Sex In the City...our team won a bottle of Cava!
After our two hour tour 14 of us had lunch at Saona - Plaza de la Virgen.
After we finished lunch, at 4:30 we went over for an evening of Spanish Wine Tasting from Winery Denébola at Innóvateya with another group of about 35 people. I do love Spanish wine!
Another fantastic day and night, I love how the fountain in Plaza Ayuntamiento looks at night, different colors of the water!
During the month of Easter - or perhaps the period of Lent (our guide's English wasn't that good and well our Spanish just ain't there yet), the prostitutes were all sent to convents to live and repent. Retired prostitutes also went to live in convents. This and the fact that many families sent daughters they couldn't afford to raise to convents meant that convents were not the pious places we think they are.
All of the following are in public view on the outside walls of the La Lonja!
THREE NUDES BEATING EACH OTHER WITH BROOMS
On the outside walls of the La Lonja, in what is known as the "porch of sins", in the sight of the Virgin Mary and with the child Jesus we saw this scene of three completely naked people who seem to be hitting each other with brooms. We know that witchcraft was persecuted at the time however it sure seems like they are involved in some type of sexual ritual.
On the same "porch of sins" is a beast doing what some men wish they could do.
Also for some unknown reason a man is doing a tree?
MAN FORNICATES WITH WALL
In the Middle ages, lust was perhaps the most punished capital sin. At the time of building the La Lonja prostitution was rooted in the population of Valencia and thus seems to be why many statues and gargoyles imagery are on the walls of the La Lonja. In this statue on the main facade is a man fornicating with his own building, the most important civic building in the city. Maybe it was his way to F-you to the city?
NUDE WOMEN TOUCHES HER GENITALS
Once again we see lust. A completely naked women who touches herself with both hands. While it lacks sensuality and eroticism is does recreate the act (sinful according to the morality of the time) of masturbation. It might be the most recognized and surprising figures, at first glance, on the Silk Market.
IS THIS ANGEL DOING WHAT I THINK HE IS DOING?
This is one of the strangest gargoyles on the walls of the Silk Market, which happens to face the Central Market. An Angel takes his penis and directs it into a vase, which he is holding with his other hand. This is yet another of these figures laden with obscenity which look at the street below. Many people who happen to notice these stand and wonder, what the heck is the meaning?
We then walked from the La Lonja to the St. Nicolas church. Here he told this story. Supposedly, Nicolas was born to a wealthy family in Patara, Lycia, Turkey. His parents died, and he inherited a considerable sum of money, but he kept none of it. In the most famous story about his life, is that he saw a man who was so poor he had to put his three daughters into prostitution. St. Nicolas decided to give them some gold coins and threw them down the chimneys to help keep them out of prostitution.....and they were caught in stockings drying in the fireplaces. Hmmm the start of the Christmas tradition of hanging stockings! Apparently he is also known to have been the patron saint to bank managers, prostitutes and sailors.
We then walked to Casa Natal of the aristocrat Bienvenida "Lady Buck" Perez. She has quite a history, read her story. At this location plaque was placed on the wall and it became the "Ruta por le Valencia Erotica".
While walking around, one the the friends we've meet, who organized this tour, Jean (John) posed in front of these car bumpers. Beth turned her back on this photo. ( Not really - she was ahead of the crowd)
Then we walked over to Borges street named after a Spanish Pope Alexander VI born Roderic Borgia, who was controversial because he acknowledged fathering several children by his mistress.
While discussing other topics the guide gave us the "Casa York - Gomas Higiénicas de las mejores marcas extraneras" information about the old condoms. They were designed to be washed and reused. Early recycling?
We saw some graffiti on the walk in the Barrio del Carmen
From here we walked to the Generalitat Valencia it is a government building. This image is on the outside of that building
Next on the tour was the outside of the Valencia Cathedral
While all of this erotica may seem to indicate a lascivious Valencia, history suggests that since people couldn't read, they put sculptures outside of building to let everyone know what was sinful. The inside of the buildings do not contain such carvings.
Last we saw an image I have posted before. But I found out that she is a famous cabaret entertainer Rosita Amores.
Enjoy the short video of her singing Valencian!
We stopped in at the Cafe de las Horas, pre-lunch. We played a game of Sex In the City...our team won a bottle of Cava!
After our two hour tour 14 of us had lunch at Saona - Plaza de la Virgen.
After we finished lunch, at 4:30 we went over for an evening of Spanish Wine Tasting from Winery Denébola at Innóvateya with another group of about 35 people. I do love Spanish wine!
Another fantastic day and night, I love how the fountain in Plaza Ayuntamiento looks at night, different colors of the water!
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Please send me the information about the sex tour guide so I can contact him for a tour. Thanks.
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