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Chapel of the Beatified Josepha N. Girbes

Upper part of the altarpiece
Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Unknown author.

Centre of the altarpiece
Beatified Josefa Naval Girbes, secular virgin,
oil on canvas by Juan Ribera Berenguer (2001)

Josepha Naval was born in Algemesí (Valencia) on 11 November 1820 and died in the same town on 24 February 1893. From her youth, she consecrated her virginity to the Lord in order to serve the Church represented in her parish church and under the priests' spiritual direction. She had a deep pious life, something that she knew how to transmit it to her people, leaving a strong spiritual mark which resulted in many religious and priestly vocations. She made a lot for the human and Christian formation of young women, teaching them different manual skills strengthening their social dignity. In Algemesí and all around, she is still remembered as “Mrs. Pepa”. She was beatified by John Paul II on 25 September 1983 and is the first secular faithful of Valencia elevated to the altars. Her feast day is on 6 November.

On the floor, tomb of Ausias March
The tombstone is modern and is enclosed by a poem written by the poet himself.

Valencian poet of the 15th century. He was born in Gandia in 1397 and took part in the military expeditions and was Lord of Beniarjó. Love poems stand out among his works, his “Cants de mort” (Songs of death) and the “Cant espiritual” (The spiritual singing). His works show the Provençal and the Italian Renaissance influence. His poems were translated into many languages, such as Spanish (between 1539 and 1579) having a great influence on poets of the Spanish Renaissance. He died in Valencia in 1459.

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