Perhaps Europe’s only outdoor court, the Water Court of Valencia has met for over 1,000 years, sitting in an enclosure just outside the doors of Valencia’s cathedral. Its sittings have become a popular attraction.
The court is on UNESCO’s list of “intangible cultural heritages” and claims to be Europe’s oldest court, dating to when Muslims ruled the area and the cathedral was a mosque. It was created because the area, then as now, is prone to droughts, and disputes among farmers over water rights could be life or death decisions.
The court’s eight members are elected by the eight associations of ‘irrigators’ who grow the area’s crops, including vegetables and tiger nuts, which are used for the popular drink horchata. The judges resolve most disputes by mediation, but their decisions are final and unappealable, and they can levy fines or restitution of thousands of Euros.
