Basilica of the Virgin of the Helpless

The Basílica de la Virgen de los Desamparados, completed around 1700 in baroque style with Renaissance influences, stands adjacent to Valencia's Cathedral on the Plaza de la Virgen. Its interior enshrines the venerated image of the Virgin of the Helpless, Valencia's patron saint — a 15th-century Gothic terracotta figure affectionately nicknamed 'la Geperudeta' for the slight tilt of her head. Each May, during the 'Ofrenda de flores' procession that forms the climax of the Las Fallas festival, hundreds of thousands of flowers are offered to the statue by Valencians in traditional dress. The oval main chapel, crowned by an elaborately frescoed dome and a gilded high altar, is open daily and wheelchair accessible, drawing a steady stream of local worshippers throughout the day.