Route of the Borgias

Ducal Palace of Gandía

.

Gothic-mudéjar cloister of the Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, 14th century.

Albaida

.

The Route of the Borgias is a cultural route, that includes sites associated with the

Borja or Borgia, located in their native Valencian Community, Spain. The marketing of the route was inaugurated in 2007.^[1]^[2]

The Borgias were a family of Aragonese origin, who settled in the Kingdom of Valencia, after its King James I of Aragon wrested control from Moorish rulers. In most translations, the family is known as the Borgia, the Italian way of transcribing the Borja surname from Valencian.

The Popes

Francis Borgia are the best-known figures of this lineage that originated in Canals and Xàtiva, and via Valencia came to Rome, then return to Valencia to refound the Duchy of Gandia

.

The route through the legacy of the Borgias has its beginning in the city of Gandia and ends in Valencia passing through various monuments and Valencian towns where the Borja left their mark.

Itinerary

The route includes the following monuments and towns:

Gandia:

Alfauir

Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba

Simat de la Valldigna

Monastery of Santa María de la Valldigna

Albaida

Palace of Milà i Aragó

Castelló de Rugat

Remains of the Ducal Palace

Canals

Xàtiva

Llombai

Church of the Holy Cross

Valencia

Valencia Cathedral
Palace of the Borgias
University of Valencia (Estudio General)
Church of San Nicolás

Castellnovo (Castellón)

Castellnovo Castle

The Route step by step

Gandia: The vestige of the Borgia in Gandia is extensive.

The
Alexander VI. She had the Apostles Door built by the famous sculptor Damià Forment and had the major altarpiece, nowadays disappeared, painted by Paolo da San Leocadio
.

Most of the Borgia dukes and their descendants were born in the Ducal Palace of Gandia, built in times of the royal dukes. The arms courtyard, the crown assembly hall, the eagles' hall and the stunning gold gallery are worth seeing. Inside the building you can find the Space of Emotions (Espacio de las Emociones), a centre for virtual interpretation that will carry the visitor back to the Borgia time.
The
Saint Francis Borgia
. His successor, Carlos Borgia, founded the convent of Sant Roc, which is now a cultural centre and was a baroque church in the 18th century.
The
Sant Marc Hospital
was governed by the Dukes of Gandia, is today the archaeological museum of the city (MaGa).

Alfauir

The
Leonor de Castro, lady and intimate friend of the Empress Isabella of Portugal
, spent her last days in it recovering from her ailments.

Simat de la Valldigna

In Simat we can find the
Jaime II
. Rodrigo Borgia and his son Cesare were the monastery abbots. From its remains is possible to see the royal door, the convent, the chapter-house, the cloister and the abbot palace. Different earthquakes have destroyed the church and the one that is possible to see nowadays has a baroque style.

Albaida

Palace of Milà i Aragó: The palace was constructed by the cardinal Luis de Milà y de Borja, nephew of the Pope Callixtus III, who after being papal vicarious in Rome, built this palace in the center of the municipality.

Canals

Pope Calixtus III
, was born in the Tower of Canals.
Opposite the tower we can find the
Last Judgement
, by the master of Borboto. Both buildings are worth visiting.

Xativa

: The legacy of the Borja in Xativa is important.

In the
Calixtus III
and another artworks of the Borgia family.
Natal house of Alexander VI
: Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, was born in Xativa and was christened in the church of San Pedro in 1431. Both, the birthplace and the church can be visited.
Another Borgian place in Xativa is the Hermitage of Santa Ana, patron saint of the family.

Valencia: The legacy of the family in the capital of the Kingdom of Valencia was numerous.