The year 2026 marks the 750th anniversary of the death of James I, but it may also be the year in which we come closest to reliving one of the most historic and representative eras for our region. The Valencia City Council has organized a series of activities to commemorate the anniversary. Among them is a reenactment of a medieval camp of the army of the historic King of Valencia.
Central Park will travel back in time to the Middle Ages, taking us through all the structural and authentic spaces of a mobile settlement like those established in the city during the conquest of the Kingdom of Valencia.
This reenactment will feature a wealth of details: a royal pavilion dedicated to the monarch and his legacy, military tents where the troops and nobility were housed, a field chapel, a training ground for knights, and falconry. All these locations will be accompanied by workshops, demonstrations, and talks to show the public what life was really like during that era and spark interest in our history.
All the commemorative activities for 2026
Although we do not yet know the exact dates and times of the events, we do know that they will take place between October 1 and 9, commemorating James I’s entry into the city of Valencia.
Two different exhibitions on the monarch will be held: one at the History Museum and another at the Valencian Museum of the Enlightenment and Modernity (MUVIM). Restoration work will also be carried out on the wooden bust from 1886, and a comic book and a fictionalized story will be published for educational purposes.
During these nine days, the Town Hall Square will be dedicated exclusively to the commemorative events. And to conclude these events, the Marxa de la Senyera will be revived, with riders on horseback carrying the sword of James I to celebrate Valencian Community Day.
