The president of the Valencia Provincial Council, Vicent Mompó, has visited the exhibition ‘James I: from king to man. The last victory’, which will be open to the public until October 26 at the Municipal Museum of Alzira. The exhibition is part of the commemoration of the 750th anniversary of the monarch's death.
The central piece of the exhibition is the famous painting by Ignacio Pinazo, ‘Last moments of King James I the Conqueror as he hands his sword to his son Peter’, painted in 1881. The Provincial Council has also loaned three preparatory studies by the artist for this work: ‘Study of the foot with spur’, ‘Study of the figure of King James I’, and ‘Study of the hands of King James I’.
Vicent Mompó highlighted the importance of valuing the figure of James I for the construction of Valencian identity and stressed that “today we are in Alzira to fulfill the promise made to this city and to share with all Valencians an extraordinary part of the Provincial Council's heritage”. He advocated for Valencian artistic heritage, stating that “the heritage of Valencians cannot be hidden; it must be alive, visible, and reach the citizens”.
The mayor of Alzira, Alfonso Domínguez, expressed his satisfaction with the loan of the painting, which “shows a different side of a king intimately linked to the municipality of Alzira” and complements the commemorative events for the 750th anniversary of his death.
The exhibition offers a more human perspective on James I, focusing on his final moments. In addition to Pinazo's works, visitors can see the Aureum Opus, the Book of Privileges from the Municipal Archive of Alzira, a documentary testimony of the city's heritage and history, compiled around 1380.
Visiting hours are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Tuesday to Saturday) and from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. This exhibition is part of the activities programmed by the Provincial Council for the 750th anniversary of James I's death, which will be complemented by more exhibitions, reenactments, and medieval parades starting October 1.
