Mio Cid means the chief in the Arab language; he was the winner of many battles.

Mio Cid’s real name is Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, he comes from a poor noble clan eager to fight for Spain and turned out to be a national hero of Spain.

One of Valencia’s proud is the Mio Cid because he defeated the Arabs and expelled them from the city in the Eleventh Century.
Cid belonged to a poor family residing in Vivar, a small town in the vicinity of Burgos, when he was grown up he went to the court which was the kingdom of Castile and Leon and he wanted to learn how to fight. Cid’s first battle took place between Castile and Aragon troops in 1063. Cid came out to be a high military leader of the King of Castile.

Cid managed to conquer Valencia in 1094; he changed it from a Muslim city into one of the biggest Christianity centres of that time in Spain, reconstructing and changing the Muslim mosques into Christian churches.

Cid ruled Valencia until 1099 when he was killed in battle, the legend says that Cid being mortally wounded ordered his soldiers to fasten and saddle him upon a horse and made him lead the battle. When the Moors knowing before hand he was deadly wounded and saw him riding a horse they retreated with fear.

After the battle Cid’s wife ruled Valencia for two years more but she had to leave the city to the Moors, Valencia went into the Spanish hands 125 years later.

Cid forms part of heroic Valencia’s history.  Cid’s famous sword known as “Tizona” was bought by the community of Castile and Leon to the Museum of Madrid.

“Tizona” is now exhibited at Museum in Burgos. Cid’s fame continues to be so and it is successfully used in Spain’s tourist industry.