A district and its doors: El Carme, Valencia

When we were in Valencia, we stayed in the old district of El Carme, just within the old city walls.  It had its glory days in the 19th and 19th centuries, but fell on hard times.  By the 1980s, and into the ’90s, people referred to the area as ‘H&M’ – that’s hashish and marijuana.  Anyone with any choices moved out.  As dilapidated buildings collapsed – like here….

…. street artists moved in.  Followed by other creative people, attracted by low rents and prices.  Now El Carme’s narrow streets are vibrant, buzzing, crammed with bars and fashion boutiques.

No bars, restaurants and shops here. But in other ways this is a typical street in El Carme.

And yet its wealthy elitist past lives on, in its doors.  Why did such tall narrow houses have such magnificent doors?  Well, the rich wanted to live here.  They needed to express their individual wealth in some way, since spacious grounds were out of the question.  Doors then.  Doors through which a man on horseback could enter.  Maybe a carriage too.  Stables and servants downstairs.  The noble family above.  No two doors were the same.  Here’s a small selection.

This is my entry – my first – for the popular Thursday Doors challenge, which I first learnt about from Judith’s ever-interesting blog, Beyond the Window Box.

Click on any image to view full size.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

17 thoughts on “A district and its doors: El Carme, Valencia”

  2. Your Valencia door collection has confirmed that city on my ‘to visit some time’ list. The door framed by oranges is particularly eye-catching. Welcome to Thursday Doors!

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    1. Thanks. I doubt if I’ll make it anything like every week. But Valencia is definitely a city for you, from what I’ve observed of your camera-eye. So many charming features at every glance.

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  3. Beautiful. Individual, ornate, grand doors an infinitely preferable display of conspicuous consumption to the mass produced branded handbag, or, even worse, the mass produced ‘designer’ branded white T-shirt (Loewe white T-shirt £250 or Balenciaga black one £354).

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  9. Sometimes it’s only looking at the architecture of an area that alerts you to the fact that it was once quite grand. Doors have an endless fascination, I just want to see what’s behind although I suspect I would almost always be disappointed.

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