Fuente del Turía, Valencia

Behind the cathedral, in the center of Plaza de la Virgen, is the Fuente del Turía, Valencia's most famous fountain. By historical standards, the fountain appeared only recently, it was opened in 1976. The base of the structure is a monumental sculptural group created by Manuel Silvestre Montesinos, depicting an athletic-looking man reclining, surrounded by eight graceful women holding pitchers..

Seeing a bearded athlete surrounded by streams of water, many people think of the image of Neptune, so the fountain is often called the name of the lord of the seas. However, the sculptor depicted the Turia River in the form of a strong man, on the bank of which the city of Valencia was built. This small, generally speaking, river with a length of only 280 kilometers has repeatedly demonstrated its power during heavy rains. And on October 14, 1957, it flooded the entire city and the surrounding area, while the water level on some streets was 5.2 meters. The flood claimed the lives of 81 people, huge damage was caused to the city's infrastructure, and many historical monuments were damaged.

The disaster forced the government of Valencia to solve the problem of flooding once and for all-the waters of the treacherous river were sent to bypass the city along the Southern Channel, and gardens were planted in the drained channel within the city, sports grounds and the famous city of Arts and Sciences were built. I must say that the area of the Cathedral was not flooded - the ancient city planners were well aware of the customs of Turia.

The girls with pitchers represent the eight main irrigation channels fed by the waters of Turia: Benager, Faitanar, Rovella, Favara, Quart, Tormos, Rascanya, Mislata y Mestalla. The irrigation system is at the heart of the province's rich farmland, symbolized by the Amalthea horn with gifts of Valencian land.

And so the fountain looks in a telephoto lens from the observation deck on the cathedral tower.