Archdiocese of Valencia in Spain
The Archdiocese of Valencia, in Latin Archidioecesis Valentinus, is a Catholic region in northeastern Spain. It sits in the province of Valencia and is part of the Valencia autonomous community. The archdiocese leads the Valencia ecclesiastical province and has five suffragan dioceses: Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca, Orihuela-Alicante, and Segorbe-C Castellón. The archbishop’s seat is in Valencia Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in Valencia.
Covering about 13,060 square kilometers, the archdiocese serves around 3 million Catholics (about 94% of the population as of 2010). It follows the Latin Church and the Roman Rite.
The diocese began in the 6th century and was elevated to an archdiocese in 1492 by Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo de Borja). The cathedral has a long history, starting as a church built on the site of earlier religious worship, with major Gothic and later additions, including the famous Micalet tower added in 1418.
Today the archbishop is Enrique Benavent Vidal (appointed in 2022). The archdiocese oversees numerous parishes, schools, and charitable works, continuing a tradition of education and social care dating back to medieval times.
Valencia’s patroness is the Virgen de los Desamparados, a central devotion in the city. The archdiocese has played a key role in Valencia’s religious, educational, and charitable life for centuries.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:36 (CET).