The cultural centre La Nau is situated in the heart of Valencia. Originally, La Nau was the university of Valencia, but in 1498 the town council decided to add the adjacent houses to the building. From then on, La Nau began to form the cultural centre it is nowadays.
The cultural centre contains different parts, which all have their own purposes:
The monastery is built in 1840, but the characterizing colonnades from which you can recognize the building now, were built in 1944. In the courtyard surrounded by pillars, you can find a statue of philosopher Joan Lluís Vives to refer to the students of the university. Besides Erasmus, this man was the most important representative of the humanism in The Netherlands. Joan is also seen as the highest academic of the 16th century and was well known as a pedagogue. Interesting fact: he wrote approximately sixty books, all in Latin!
This central hall is decorated with paintings from famous characters like Felipe Beltrán and Casanova. He was doctor of Theology and Master of Arts, who studied at the University of Valencia and later became bishop of Salamanca. All the paintings are linked to the university in their own way. Before, this hall was used to teach the students Latin and Greek, but now it is used for solemn sessions and the annual opening of the school year.
This room is used to hold debates, congresses and presentations. The idea behind these events origins from the time when election debates were held here.
The chapel of the University is one of the most impressive spaces in La Nau, decorated with art from several Valencian painters. Because of the beautiful acoustics, the chapel is used for readings, music, book launches and other kinds of cultural events.
In 1785 books written by Francisco Pérez Baier were donated to La Nau, which was the beginning of the library. Now special manuscripts published from the 16th until the 20th century are kept in the historic library.
Exhibition rooms and other spaces
Next to all the rooms as described above, La Nau has several exhibition rooms and other spaces for rent. All these spaces form a beautiful centre for culture, art, music, exhibitions and workshops. Everything you can find is mainly focussed on heritage and culture.
The Valencian designer Pere Compte came up with the idea to change the surrounding houses into La Nau as a cultural centre. Compte is known from several highlights in Valencia like the famous silk exchange ‘Lonja de la Seda’. He also designed the Valencian cathedral and made the construction of the city gates ‘Torres de Quart’.
La Nau is built in a neoclassic style, which you can clearly see in the monastery and the façade of the building. It has been renovated and extended in 1830, which resulted in a surface of 2,900 square metres. The head entrance of the building is situated on Calle de la Nave, but another entrance is on the Plaza Patriarca. This square is typically Valencian because of the rows with orange trees and is located in the city centre of Valencia.
Carrer de la Universitat 2
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 –14:00 and 16:00 – 20:00
Sunday and holidays: 10:00 – 14:00