James I of Aragon founds the Kingdom of Valencia.

The Kingdom of Valencia was a historic kingdom on the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, established in 1238 following the conquest of the Muslim-controlled city of Valencia by King James I of Aragon. Before the Christian conquest, the region had been under Muslim rule for more than five centuries, during which Valencia developed into an important centre of agriculture, commerce, and Islamic culture. James I incorporated the conquered territory into the Crown of Aragon but established Valencia as a separate kingdom rather than making it part of Aragon or Catalonia. The new kingdom was granted its own laws, known as the Furs of Valencia, along with independent political institutions and administrative structures. Its population included Christians, Muslims, and Jews, whose coexistence, although frequently marked by tensions and discrimination, contributed to the region’s distinctive cultural and economic character.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Kingdom of Valencia experienced considerable economic growth and cultural development, becoming one of the most prosperous territories within the Crown of Aragon. Its fertile agricultural lands produced rice, citrus fruits, and other crops, while its Mediterranean ports supported extensive trade with Italy, North Africa, and other European markets. The 15th century is often regarded as Valencia’s Golden Age, when the city became a major commercial and intellectual centre. Important architectural achievements from this period included the magnificent Silk Exchange, or La Lonja de la Seda, which reflected the wealth generated by the textile trade. Valencia also became an important centre of literature, producing influential writers such as Ausiàs March and Joanot Martorell, whose celebrated chivalric novel Tirant lo Blanch was published in 1490. However, the kingdom subsequently experienced economic difficulties and social unrest, including the Revolt of the Brotherhoods between 1519 and 1523 and the devastating consequences of the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609.

The Kingdom of Valencia retained its distinctive laws and institutions after the dynastic union of the crowns of Aragon and Castile in the late 15th century, which laid the foundations for modern Spain. However, its political autonomy came to an end following the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714). Valencia largely supported the Habsburg claimant, Archduke Charles, against the Bourbon claimant, Philip V. Following the Bourbon victory at the Battle of Almansa in April 1707, Philip V issued the Nueva Planta decrees, abolishing Valencia’s traditional laws, representative institutions, and independent political administration. The kingdom was subsequently governed under a more centralised Spanish monarchy, although the name Kingdom of Valencia continued to be used as a geographical and administrative designation until the provincial reorganisation of Spain in 1833. Today, its historical territory largely corresponds to the modern Valencian Community, an autonomous region of Spain that continues to preserve its distinctive language, traditions, and cultural heritage.