Article: 700 years of Valencian faith: soulful jewels to experience Corpus

700 years of Valencian faith: soulful jewels to experience Corpus

There's a scent in Valencia that announces Corpus Christi even before you reach the street. It's the perfume of aromatic herbs—rosemary, thyme, lavender—scattered over the cobblestones before the procession passes. "La enramada," they call it. And even if you've experienced it twenty times, just stepping outside and encountering that aroma is enough to remind you why this city has something no other does.
This year, that scent is imbued with history. In 2026, Valencia's Corpus Christi will celebrate its 700th anniversary: seven centuries since the festival was first documented in 1326. The Rocas, those historic triumphal floats, will once again parade through the historic center. La Moma and the Momos will dance again. Spain's largest monstrance will be carried in procession. And thousands of Valencians will be there to witness it, just as countless generations before them.
Corpus Christi is not just a religious procession. It's also proof that Valencia knows how to preserve what is valuable. And perhaps that's why many people, believers or not, feel the need on days like this to wear something meaningful. Not necessarily in terms of gold. But in terms of significance.
A tradition to wear
The custom of wearing a medal or a cross on important days is not new. Grandmothers knew it. A medal of the Virgin of the Forsaken kept close, a scapular under the shirt, a first communion cross reserved for special occasions. Not exactly as an amulet, but as a reminder. As a way of saying: this matters to me, this comes from before.
That tradition hasn't disappeared. It has changed form. Today, there are twenty-year-old girls who wear a Patroness medal on a very delicate necklace alongside other more modern pieces, without any contradiction. It's not always devotion in the strictest sense. Sometimes it's identity: it's grandma, it's the neighborhood, it's Valencia. It's carrying with you a small link to a festival that is 700 years old and, in some way, also belongs to you.
And it doesn't belong to just one generation or one specific way of experiencing tradition. At communions, baptisms, weddings—and on days like Corpus Christi—pieces that were usually stored away reappear, or new pieces that someone chose for the occasion. The meaning is not given by the material or the price. It is given by the moment you decide to wear it.
Five pieces to wear this Corpus Christi

If you're attending the procession and looking for something subtle, the Maredeueta Virgin of the Forsaken Medal is one of those timeless pieces that never go out of style because they never tried to. La Geperudeta—as we affectionately call her in Valencia—in 925 silver or gold-plated. Simple, timeless, with the image everyone recognizes. No matter what you wear it with, it always looks good.
For those who prefer something with more color and personality, the Virgin of the Forsaken Macramé Bracelet is handmade with macramé knots in 26 different colors, featuring the Virgin's medal at the center. It's the kind of piece a mother and daughter can wear, each in her own way. There's something about handcrafted items that fits particularly well with a festival made of details, tradition, and hands that continue to shape each celebration.

The Miraculous Virgin and Stones Necklace is possibly the most popular devotional piece at Cobalto. The 18K gold-plated medal with natural stones—available in 19 different colors—and hypoallergenic steel make it easy to wear every day, not just on special occasions. It's for those who want faith and style to complement each other.
And if you're looking for something for him: the Virgin of the Forsaken Bracelet for men is made with natural stones and features the Patroness's figurine in acetate. Discreet and with that touch of distinction that makes it meaningful to wear on a day like this.

Finally, one that's harder to categorize: the Multicolor Rosary Necklace with Virgin and Cross. An updated rosary with colorful beads, and Virgin and cross charms in golden steel. It's the kind of piece someone sees and asks, "Where is that from?" And at a festival with over 700 years of history, wearing something so distinctly ours makes even more sense.
Experience Corpus Christi, wear it with you
This year's Corpus Christi is different. It's not just another celebration—it's a milestone. Seven centuries are seven centuries, and Valencia celebrates them as it knows how: with crowded streets, with the Rocas rolling over the cobblestones, and with that scent of herbs that, for four days in June, transforms the historic center into another place.
If you pass through the center this week, come and see us. We are very close to where Valencia celebrates these days. And if you can't come, you can view the complete Devotional collection on the website. But, more than the products, what matters to us is that the piece you choose to wear this Corpus Christi says something about you.

