Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados (Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken), Valencia

One of Valencia’s most beloved religious figures is the Virgin of the Forsaken, affectionately known as the “Little Hunchback.” Not the most glamorous nickname, perhaps, but in Valencia, it comes wrapped in centuries of devotion.

The name refers to the slight curve in the statue’s back, a detail explained by a rather somber legend. According to tradition, the figure was once used during funeral rites for society’s outcasts, including executed criminals. She would be placed over the bodies, her head resting gently on a cushion. After enough of these solemn duties, the story goes, her posture began to change. Today, that curve is mostly hidden beneath rich garments and jewels, shifting the mood from sorrow to reverence, with just a hint of theatrical sparkle...

You can see her raised above the altar in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken, a 17th-century church built entirely in her honor. It was Valencia’s first fully Baroque building, and it still carries a strong sense of style with confidence.

A covered Renaissance-style walkway links the basilica directly to the Cathedral’s high altar. This passage is reserved exclusively for clergy.

As for the statue itself, it also has a practical surprise, being mounted on a swivel. This allows her to turn toward the main nave for larger services, or toward a smaller side chapel for quieter moments of devotion. Safe to say, she knows how to work both the grand occasion and the intimate audience...

Just behind the basilica is a peaceful square standing above what was once the heart of Roman Valentia. Through the stone arch formed by the bridge to the Cathedral, you’ll spot two lesser-known neighbors: the City Museum, housed in a former palace and filled with art and history, and El Almudín, a 13th-century medieval granary that once guarded Valencia’s wheat supply and now serves a more cultured purpose—housing exhibitions.