Valencia

Valencia is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 810,064 in 2008. It is the 22nd-most populous municipality in the European Union and 35th-most populous urban area in the European Union. The city contains a dense monumental heritage but its landmark is undoubtedly the City of Arts and Sciences, an avant-garde and futuristic museum complex. The original Latin name of the city was Valentia, meaning "strength", "valour", the city being named for the Roman practice of recognizing the valour of former Roman soldiers after a war. During the rule of the Muslim Empires in Spain, it was known as Balansiya in Arabic. The city was founded by the Romans in 137 BC on the site of a former Iberian town, by the river Turia. The city has been occupied by the Visigoths, the Moors and the Catalan and Aragonese.