La Nau

What you will see

La Nau is the oldest building of the Universitat de València. It dates from 1488, when the city's Consell General decided to bring all higher education together in a single Estudi General. It was the university's main seat until the mid-twentieth century, has been a listed building since 1981, and underwent renovation in 1999 and 2012. Today it is the university's cultural centre: exhibitions, theatre, music, lectures and conferences, as well as the festivals Serenates and La Cabina.

The cloister

The main cloister was built in phases during the 19th century to a design by Timoteu Calvo, and Sebastià Monleón completed the ground floor. The upper storey, with its Ionic columns, is the work of Xavier Goerlich and was finished in 1944. At its centre stands a statue of the humanist Joan Lluís Vives, who studied here, created by Josep Aixà in 1880 and cast in bronze by Vicent Rius. The walls display plaques and medallions from 1902 with portraits of the jurors and city officials who took part in the founding of the Estudi General. The ground floor houses the exhibition halls Estudi General, Oberta and Academia.

Other spaces

In the same building you will find the rector's office, the Biblioteca Histórica (Historic Library) and the chapel of La Sapiència.

Cost

The Universitat website does not list an entrance fee for the exhibition halls; check each activity in La Nau's programme.

Opening hours

The exhibition halls are open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–20:00, and Sunday and public holidays 10:00–14:00. In August the hours change to Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–14:00. Closed 25 December and 1 and 6 January; 24 and 31 December 09:00–14:00.

How to get there

The address is calle Universitat, 2 (46003 València).

Worth visiting if…

…you are interested in the history of the Valencian university, want to see a 19th-century cloister with the statue of Vives at its centre, or are looking for exhibitions and cultural activities in the heart of the city.