Valencia was a stronghold of the left-wing Republicans during the Spanish Civil War, served as one of their temporary capitals (November 1936-October 1937, they moved to Barcelona after the dominant Stalinist faction defeated local anarchists for control of that other city) and was one of the last Republican cities to fall to the Nationalists. In hindsight clearly, as with too many other parts of Spain, Franco wasn't nearly as harsh on the place as he needed to be nor as they deserved.
Valencia was a stronghold of the left-wing Republicans during the Spanish Civil War, served as one of their temporary capitals (November 1936-October 1937, they moved to Barcelona after the dominant Stalinist faction defeated local anarchists for control of that other city) and was one of the last Republican cities to fall to the Nationalists. In hindsight clearly, as with too many other parts of Spain, Franco wasn't nearly as harsh on the place as he needed to be nor as they deserved.
That whole Cataluña region is leftiest hell hole.