Virgen de los Desamparados Basilica

This Baroque church, dedicated to the city's patron saint, was the most important religious building constructed in Valencia in the 17th century.

The Basilica was built between 1652 and 1667, and is the only church in the old town that was not built on the site of a former parish church or convent - it was an entirely new work. Another unusual thing about it is that the dome is off-centre, towards the Cathedral. Also worthy of note is its side-chapel, a characteristic element of the Baroque: it is dedicated to the adoration of the image of the Virgin Mary. It is one of the first side-chapels we know of in Spain, and access is via a staircase.