Levante UD organizes a tour through the settings, characters, and memory of Gimnástico (1923–1936) for Saturday, November 14, at 11:30 a.m., with a guided route through some of the locations that marked the history of Gimnástico. The meeting point will be at Plaza Poeta Llorente, corner of Calle Pintor López, next to Plaza del Temple. This will be the start of a journey through the memory of Gimnástico until reaching Vallejo.

The Historical Heritage department of Levante UD proposes a new guided tour through the memory of Gimnástico, an invitation to discover three locations in Valencia linked to the history of one of the entities that, after its merger with Levante FC in 1939, gave rise to the current Levante UD. A journey through characters, settings, and episodes that help to understand the origins of our granota identity.

Amador Sanchis, the starting point

The tour will begin in front of the birthplace of Amador Sanchis, a key figure in the early years of Gimnástico. The first president of the entity and a pioneer in the development of Valencian football, he was also a player, referee, and one of its main ideologists. As a journalist for Diario de Valencia, especially during the 1920s, he contributed to spreading and building the ideology of a club that sought to establish itself in the Valencian sports scene.

His career was closely linked to Valencian football for decades. After the Civil War, he held various federative responsibilities, eventually presiding over the Valencian Football Federation and later Levante UD during the early 1950s.

The Stadium, a vanished setting

Right in front of Amador Sanchis's residence was the Stadium, the venue that Gimnástico used as its playing field between 1923 and 1925, approximately.

Designed by architect Javier Goerlich, the Stadium was conceived with a multi-sport vocation and the aspiration to become a modern facility capable of hosting various disciplines. Gimnástico found there a venue to play its matches for a couple of seasons, although the location's conditions and flooding caused by rain eventually affected its continuity. In 1925, the club moved its activities to Vallejo. However, the Stadium left a much deeper mark than its brief association with Gimnástico might suggest.

The origin of our granota identity

The surroundings of the old Stadium allow us to delve into one of the most unique episodes in Levante's history: the origin of the granota nickname. The proximity to the Turia riverbed, the presence of water, and the frogs that inhabited the area fostered a popular association between these animals and Gimnástico. The croaking of the frogs and the team's connection to that environment eventually shaped a nickname that has spanned generations.

The granota tradition survived the 1939 merger and eventually became one of the most recognizable hallmarks of Levante UD. During this stop, visitors will be able to observe some remnants of the old site and reconstruct, from various points in the area, the history of a field that remains tied to Levante's collective memory.

Vallejo, the final destination

The tour will conclude in the vicinity of the old Campo de Vallejo, the venue to which Gimnástico moved in 1925 and where a new chapter of its history began. The visit will not follow the usual itinerary dedicated to Vallejo's centenary but will focus on the early years of the relationship between Gimnástico and the venue, from its arrival until the outbreak of the Civil War. The narrative will reference the space once occupied by the historic Portal de Vallejo, one of the field's most distinguished entrances.

Three locations, one city, and a shared history to trace the footsteps of Gimnástico and discover how some of its characters, settings, and symbols remain part of Levante's sentimental heritage.

Visit Information

• Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026.

• Time: 11:30 a.m.

• Meeting point: Plaza Poeta Llorente, corner of Calle Pintor López (Next to Plaza del Temple)