Valencia City Hall (Ajuntament de València) fills one side of the Plaça de l'Ajuntament, the city's main square. Behind its grand early 20th-century façade and clock tower stands an 18th-century school building, and every March, during the Fallas, its balcony is where the signal is given for the mascletà, the deafening daytime firework show in the square below.
Valencia City Hall at a glance
- Where: Plaça de l'Ajuntament 1, in the city centre, a few minutes' walk from the Estació del Nord and the Mercado Central.
- Built: the rear wing in the 18th century as the Real Casa de Enseñanza, a school founded by Archbishop Andrés Mayoral; the main façade from 1906, mostly in the 1910s and 1920s.
- By: the architects Carlos Carbonell and Francisco Mora, with sculpture by Mariano Benlliure, Carmelo Vicent and Vicente Beltrán.
- What it is today: the seat of Valencia's city council; the balcony, the Salón de Cristal, the council chamber and the Museo Histórico Municipal can be visited on weekdays.
- Time needed: 15 minutes outside, about an hour if you go in.
From an archbishop's school to the city's front door
Valencia's council had its own building in the old town from the 14th century. When that old palace was demolished in the mid-19th century, the municipal offices moved into the Real Casa de Enseñanza, a school built in the 18th century by Archbishop Andrés Mayoral on the edge of the old centre. That building is still the core of today's City Hall, and its name lives on in calle Arzobispo Mayoral at the back.
As the city grew, the council wanted a front that matched its ambitions. Mayor José Sanchís Bergón laid the first stone on 30 June 1906, and the architects Carlos Carbonell and Francisco Mora built the new façade in stages, with Mora directing most of the work through the 1910s and 1920s. A carillon of bells was installed in the clock tower in 1930. Work stopped when the Civil War broke out in 1936, and in May 1937 Italian bombers damaged the building. It was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1962, and the stone ceremonial balcony on twelve Doric columns was added in 1967.
What to look for
- The clock tower crowning the façade, with the carillon of bells installed in 1930.
- Mariano Benlliure's sculpture: marble reliefs of Administration and Justice beside the central arch, and on the cornice two female figures, the Arts and Letters, holding up a bronze coat of arms.
- The four virtues on the side sections: Justice and Prudence by Carmelo Vicent, Fortitude and Temperance by Vicente Beltrán.
- The main balcony of 1967, the stage for the city's big moments.
- Inside: the Salón de Cristal, a former ballroom used for official receptions, and the Museo Histórico Municipal, which keeps the Senyera, the city's historic banner, and a sword and shield associated with King James I, who took Valencia in 1238.
- Under the building, a Civil War air-raid shelter, visited separately with its own entrance on calle Arzobispo Mayoral.
The mascletà and the Fallas
From 1 to 19 March, during the Fallas festival, the Plaça de l'Ajuntament hosts the mascletà every day at 2 pm: a few minutes of firecrackers set off in a carefully built rhythm that is judged more by its sound than by what you see. The signal comes from the City Hall balcony, where the Fallera Mayor calls out to the pyrotechnician: 'Senyor pirotècnic, pot començar la mascletà!' The festival, recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016, ends on the night of 19 March, when the giant falla built in front of the City Hall is burnt.
Tips for your visit
- To see the rooms inside, come on a weekday morning. The building closes to visitors on days when the full council meets, so check before you go.
- For the mascletà, arrive well before 2 pm to get a place in the square, and bring earplugs, especially for children.
- For the whole façade in one shot, cross to the centre of the square, near the fountain and the flower stalls.
Nearby
- Edificio de Correos: the grand early 20th-century post office on the same square, with a stained-glass dome over its main hall.
- Estació del Nord: the railway station opened in 1917, decorated with oranges and Valencian motifs, a few minutes' walk south.
- Plaça de Bous: the mid-19th-century bullring right next to the station, a brick amphitheatre with tiers of arches.
- Mercado Central: the early 20th-century market hall of iron, glass and tiles, under ten minutes' walk away, with La Lonja de la Seda just opposite.
See Valencia with World City Trail
Our Valencia scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 43 minutes of walking. The City Hall is one of the stops, along with the Plaça de Bous, the Mercado Central and La Lonja de la Seda. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Valencia.
Play the Valencia scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Valencia →
Play the outdoor escape game in Valencia →
Facts checked in October 2026.