Why is San Vicente Mártir celebrated "from crosses inside" in Valencia?

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The expression 'of crosses inside' is typical to refer to the festivity of San Vicente Mártir. This Saturday, January 22, 2022, Valencians celebrate the day of the patron saint of the city. This was established by King Jaume I after recovering the city from Muslim hands. The king considered that the victory over the Arabs was due to the intercession of the saint and in gratitude for his help he appointed him protector of Valencia.

And so he has remained until now. This festival has always been related to the phrase "of crosses inside", since the festival was only celebrated within the limits of the city that was delimited by crosses, an ancient custom of the Crown of Aragon in which at the entrance and exit of the municipality a cross was placed (called pedró in Catalonia, peiró in Valencia and in Aragón sun cross or also known as terminus crosses).

The tradition has survived with special force in Valencia and is still used to highlight the Valencian nature of the festival of San Vicente Mártir. At this time, 14 crossings can be counted at the different entrances and exits of the city.

Several of them are covered crosses (they are inside some construction similar to a bandstand). The best known is the Covered Cross of the Camino Real de Xàtiva, dating from the 14th century, which gives its name to a neighborhood in the city and marks the end of Calle San Vicente Mártir, the longest in the city.

Among the covered crosses there is also the Covered Cross of the Barcelona Way (Creu Coberta del Camí de Morvedre) which also dates from the 14th century and the Creu Coberta de Mislata.

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In the avenue of the Port is the cross of term Camí del Grau or Camí del Mar, although not in the exact location in which it was built. It has been moved several times to facilitate the layout of the streets. The Cruz de Pinedo or Creu de Conca is a few meters from reaching the Albufera. Another of the terminus crosses can be seen on the exit motorway to Barcelona with a modern invoice.

In the Plaza de la Cruz del Canyamelar you can see another of these terminus crosses. The cross that is located on the avenue of the Valencian Courts is half a century old. Also from the same period is the one found at the entrance and exit of the Pista de Silla. Another of these crosses is located on Nicasio Benlloch street, known as the Cruz del Camino Viejo de Llíria (although it is not in its original location either).

The cross that was on the Camino de Moncada was demolished during the Civil War and later restored. The Cross of Benimàmet is located in Camporrobles square on the old road to Paterna.

Another of these crosses can also be found in Benifaraig, which has belonged to the municipality of Valencia since 1900. In Massarrojos (Camino Hondo de Borbotó) there has been another cross since the population became part of Valencia in 1899. The current one is also after the Civil War, since it was destroyed in the conflict.