The Main Street

Once again it's time to talk about Gandía, this time it's time to talk about one of the most important streets that his own name indicates, the main street.

How to come

It is very easy to get from the station, we will have to get to the Plaza de las Escuelas Pías and from there we will continue straight on the ground and it will indicate that we are in the "Carrer Major" (the main street in Castilian).

By car there is no difference on other occasions, the Gregorio Mayans car park or the Parque del Este car park, both car parks are free although this second one does not work when the Gandía fiestas are in mid-October.

A little bit about the history…

The name itself, tells us, it is the main street, and why? For a very simple reason, the Main street passed the real way, when being in an important place already from the Average age it became the most important commercial street.

The Main Street is located between the Paseo de las Germanías and the Plaza de las Escuelas Pías, which were the limits of medieval Gandia. Even with the growth of Gandía at the end of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century, the place continued to be the main commercial street of the city.

It is very curious to see photos of the 50s, with very narrow sidewalks and cars passing by in the middle of the street. It was already in closer times that it was decided to pave the entire downtown area and restrict it from cars in most places.

The "Historic Center" brand was created, which includes the merchants of the main street and adjacent streets to promote the area's trade, and is currently one of the main places in the city.

The Main Street

What can we find on Main Street? Mainly shops, there is hardly anything of tourist value, if we go to the main street it will be for buying from one of the stores, usually clothes.

Of course, there are exceptions such as the image of the saint that can be seen in the Main Street at the height of Calle Juan Andrés (or Joan Andrés in Valencian). But basically, one will go to buy. That if as a tourist possibly touch pass through some section of the main street because it is near the City Hall and the Collegiate, in addition to the Ducal Palace itself, the Loreto Square, the Plaza de las Escuelas Pias and the Paseo de las Germanías.

I would also like to give my personal opinion about the "Historical Center" brand, the place attracts most of Gandia's neighbors and other places in the region but it has a small problem that is the beach tourism that does not come close to The main street.

And one may ask, why? The reason is simple, if someone comes from the beach, usually comes by car and finds a place to park is one of the main problems Gandía has. Someone thought of doing paid parking in the Prado, in the Paseo de las Germanías, in the Avenida de la Republica Argentina and now a new one in the Jardinet area and in the end all have ended empty and scare away the potential clients that could approach the Main Street.

The normal thing would have been to not do any of these ghost parkings and look for a kind of free parking and as close to the main street. While what happens and will happen that this tourist will go to the Plaza Mayor, Carrefour and Vital to have free parking and a large range of shops.

Finally, I would also like to name the Plaza de las Escuelas Pías, which in itself does not have enough to make an article of its own.

In this square, there are two important things, a series of statues and the Old University of Gandia. San Francisco de Borja inaugurated the university, being the first university of the Jesuits. The old university of Gandía was in operation between 1549 and 1772. In 1767, Carlos III expelled the Society of Jesus from Spain, the university could not hold out and closed its doors in 1772.

Currently, in its ground floor they are used for some municipal offices and for an exhibition hall. The university itself is used as the school center of the Escolapios (basically ESO and baccalaureate) and as one of the headquarters of the National University of Distance Education (UNED).

Regarding the statues, they were made in 1998, they represent several important figures of Gandía or who had an important footprint in it. In the first place to the popes Calixto III and Alejandro VI, the latter already spoke of their importance in the Doge's Palace. Then, to the children of Alejandro VI, César and Lucrecia Borja (who is Pope did not mean he could not have children). It is curious that popes like Calixto III and Alejandro VI provoked Protestantism. And finally, to San Francisco de Borja, which I do not think deserves more explanations than those I gave in previous articles.

In short, the main street is one of the most typical streets of commerce, in itself it has nothing of the other world but it is worth taking a walk by Gandian commerce. It is a good alternative to the shopping centers of Plaza Mayor and Vital although it has the problem of parking.