Editing Valencia (section)

==== Francoist Spain ====
During the [[Spanish Civil War]], Valencia was heavily bombarded by air and sea, mainly by the [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)|Fascist Italian]] air force, as well as the Francoist air force with [[Nazi Germany|Nazi German]] support. By the end of the war, the city had survived 442 bombardments, leaving 2,831 dead and 847 wounded, although it is estimated that the death toll was higher. The Republican government moved to Barcelona on 31 October of that year. On 30 March 1939, Valencia surrendered and Nationalist Spanish troops entered the city.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

The postwar years were a time of hardship for Valencians. During Franco's regime, speaking or teaching [[Valencian language|Valencian]] was prohibited; in a significant reversal, it is now compulsory for every schoolchild in Valencia. Franco's dictatorship forbade political parties and began a harsh ideological and cultural repression countenanced and sometimes led by the Catholic Church. During Franco's regime some leading Valencian intellectuals, such as [[Juan Peset]], [[Rector (academia)|rector]] of [[University of Valencia]], were executed and many of them, including [[Josep Renau]] and [[Max Aub]], went into exile.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

[[File:Historia30-valencia - Valencia anegada por la riada de 1957.jpg|thumb|right|Image of the 1957 flood]]
[[File:Barraques de Beniparrell abans de la Gran Riuada de València (País Valencià, 1957).jpg|thumb|Valencian houses following the Valencia flood of 1957]]
In 1943, Franco decreed the exclusivity of Valencia and Barcelona for the celebration of international [[fair]]s in Spain.<ref name=ventoso>{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.es/espana/20140210/abci-como-cataluna-volvio-rica-201402100444.html |website=[[ABC (Spain)|ABC]] |title=De cómo Cataluña se volvió rica y Galicia, pobre |date=11 February 2014 |first=Luis |last=Ventoso |access-date=20 July 2020 |archive-date=28 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828171157/https://www.abc.es/espana/20140210/abci-como-cataluna-volvio-rica-201402100444.html |url-status=live}}</ref> These two cities would hold the monopoly on international fairs for more than three decades, until the rule's abolishment in 1979 by the government of [[Adolfo Suárez]].<ref name=ventoso /> In October 1957, [[1957 Valencia flood|a flood]] from the Turia river resulted in 81 casualties and extensive property damage.<ref name=levante>{{Cite web |url=https://www.levante-emv.com/valencia/2017/10/04/riada-57-valencia-aniversario-60-anos/1623886.html |first=Sara |last=Cañada Guillen |website=[[Levante-EMV]] |date=4 October 2017 |title=Riada de 1957 en València: Se cumplen 60 años |access-date=15 June 2020 |archive-date=15 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615211323/https://www.levante-emv.com/valencia/2017/10/04/riada-57-valencia-aniversario-60-anos/1623886.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The disaster led to the remodelling of the city and the creation of a new river bed for the Turia, with the old one becoming one of the city's "green lungs".<ref name=levante /> The economy began to recover in the early 1960s, and the city experienced explosive population growth through immigration spurred by jobs created with the implementation of major urban projects and infrastructure improvements.