Founded in 138 BC, under the consulate of Decimus Junius Brutus, Valencia was a settlement for regular soldiers who were also granted land near the new city. Valentia quickly prospered and before long started to coin its own money.

The city was razed to the ground in 75 BC during the war waged between Pompey and Sertorius. From the middle of the first century onwards Valentia gradually recovered lost ground and embarked on a lengthy period of development typified by urban growth, the wealth of the new settlers and the aggrandisement of the city through the construction of large public buildings Sizeable infrastructure projects were also completed, such as a river port next to the modern-day Torres dels Serrans or the water supply system, a facility that the people of Valencia were unable to make use of again until the middle of the nineteenth century

After the Cordoba Caliphate (or empire) disintegrated in 1010, to be replaced by numerous autonomous kingdoms or taifas including that of Valencia. It continued to expand and a new wall was erected during the reign of King Abd al-Aziz, remains of which have survived to this day in the suburb of El Carmen.

Jaime I's conquest of Valencia in 1238 put an end to five centuries of Muslim culture which had, nevertheless, left an indelible mark on the city and the territory of Valencia as a whole. The Muslim population was expelled following the victory of the Christian forces and King Jaime I shared out the conquered land among those who had helped secure victory. Valencia embarked on a new period in its history with the creation of a social structure that laid the foundations for the city and region we know today. In the fifteenth century Valencia enjoyed a period of great economic growth and cultural and artistic splendour. This economic boom was mirrored in the culture and art of the time. Many of the city's most famous buildings were constructed during this period, such as the Torres dels Serrans, the Exchange, the bell tower known as "El Micalet" and the church of Los Reyes del Convento de Santo Domingo. As far as painting and sculpture were concerned Flemish and Italian influences came to the fore through the work of artists such as Lluís Dalmau, Gonçal Peris or Damian Forment. Literature flourished under the patronage of the court of Alfonso the Magnanimous with the likes of Ausias March, Roiç de Corella or Sor Isabel de Villena reaching prominence. In around 1460 Joanot Martorell wrote Tirant lo Blanch, an innovative chivalric romance which would later influence many writers including Cervantes and Shakespeare.

Valencia's entry into the modern age was marked by a traumatic event: the revolt of the Germanías (brotherhoods), a civil war that divided Valencian society with artisans, peasants and some members of the petty bourgeoisie joining forces against the nobility, Moriscos (subject Moors) and the wealthy bourgeoisie.

The seventeenth century and particularly the long reign of Felipe IV was characterised by the strengthening of absolutist ideals, as borne out in Valencia by the king's increasing control of municipal posts and his interference ,through the viceroy, in areas where the city had been granted powers by the charters. This was a source of continuing tension and led to several messages of protest being sent to the court. Social unrest was aggravated by successive plague epidemics which cut the population by one third, and the disastrous flood of the Turia River in 1651. The economy remained stagnant throughout virtually the entire century and only showed signs of recovery in the last couple of decades.

The death of the childless Carlos II triggered a dynastic struggle that led to the War of the Spanish Succession. After the coronation of the Bourbon Felipe V in 1701 Valencia remained loyal to the new king. As far as the economy was concerned, during the eighteenth century Valencia enjoyed a recovery based on the manufacture of silk fabrics and other industries such as tile making.

The eighteenth century was the century of ideas, the century of the Enlightenment. Having originated in France, Enlightenment thought was fervently received in Valencia where it was embraced by illustrious figures known throughout Europe such as Gregorio Mayans and Pérez Bayer, who engaged in regular correspondence with the most prominent French and German thinkers of the time. With regard to music, the composers Cabanilles and Martí y Soler came to the fore. This veneration of ideas led to the founding of the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country in 1776, an organisation that was to bring about a number of improvements in agriculture and industry in addition to promoting a variety of financial, civic and cultural institutions.

As in most of the rest of Europe, the repercussions of the French Revolution had a major impact on the history of Valencia between the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth. A series of significant changes occured during this turbulent time. The provinces were created in 1833 and that same year saw the restructuring of the city council. Hereditary posts were abolished and replaced by a system of suffrage in which candidates from the local bourgeoisie were elected to hold office.

In the last two decades Valencia has undergone an amazing transformation. Flagship projects such as the gardens, Jardín del Turia; the IVAM (Valencia Institute of Modern Art); the concert hall, Palau de la Música, and the conference centre, Palau de Congresos; the metro; the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias (City of the Arts and Sciences), and the park, Parque de Cabecera, have all helped the people of Valencia identify with their city and are attracting ever-larger numbers of tourists . These projects, along with its infrastructures and services - the trade fair centre, Feria Valencia, and the port and airport - and its quality public facilities have made Valencia what it is today; a modern city embracing the future with optimism, firmly established as it is in a prominent position both in Spain and in Europe.