Colegiata de Gandia - Porta de Santa Maria

Calze del Papa Calixt III, col·legiata de Xàtiva

WLM14ES - CATEDRAL DE VALENCIA 08122007 121909 00035 -

The Route of the Borgias is a cultural route, that includes sites associated with the Borja or ''Borgia'', located in their native

Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. The marketing of the route was inaugurated in 2007.Source: ABC
Paseo por la historia de los Borja.
The Borgias were a family of Aragonese origin, who settled in the

Kingdom of Valencia Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

, after its King

James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276; King of Majorca from 1231 to 1276; and Valencia from 1238 to 12 ...

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 Valencian () or Valencian language () is the official, historical and traditional name used in the Valencian Community (Spain), and unofficially in the El Carche comarca in Murcia (Spain), to refer to the Romance language also known as Catal ...

. The Popes Callixtus III and

Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...

Cesare Borgia Cesare Borgia (; ca-valencia, Cèsar Borja ; es, link=no, César Borja ; 13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was an Italian ex-cardinal and ''condottiero'' (mercenary leader) of Aragonese (Spanish) origin, whose fight for power was a major i ...

and

Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (; ca-valencia, Lucrècia Borja, links=no ; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She reigned as the Govern ...

and Francis Borgia are the best-known figures of this lineage that originated in

Canals Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

and

Xàtiva Xàtiva (, es, Játiva ) is a town in eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, on the right (western) bank of the river Albaida and at the junction of the Valencia–Murcia and Valencia Albacete railways. It is located 25 km west ...

, and via

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

came to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, 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 Gandia ( es, Gandía) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar (or ''Costa dels Tarongers''), south of Valencia and north of Alicante. Vehicles ca ...

and ends in

passing through various monuments and Valencian towns where the Borja left their mark.

Itinerary

The route includes the following monuments and towns:

: * Collegiate Basilica of Gandia * Ducal Palace of Gandia * Convent of Santa Clara * Sant Marc Hospital 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

* Oratory of the Borgias * Tower and walls of the Borgias

* Collegiate Basilica of Xàtiva * Natal house of Alexander VI * Hermitage of Santa Ana Llombai *Church of the Holy Cross

* Valencia Cathedral * Palace of the Borgias *

University of Valencia The University of Valencia ( ca-valencia, Universitat de València ; also known as UV) is a public research university located in the city of Valencia, Spain. It is one of the oldest surviving universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Val ...

(Estudio General) * Church of San Nicolás Castellnovo ( Castellón) *Castellnovo Castle

The Route step by step

: The vestige of the Borgia in Gandia is extensive. * The Collegiate Basilica of Gandia was expanded by Maria Enriquez de Luna, widow of the second duke, Juan Borgia, and daughter-in-law of

. 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 Convent of Santa Clara has an important art collection bequeathed by the Borgia. Several monasteries were founded over the peninsula from this convent, such as the

Convent of Las Descalzas Reales The Convent of Las Descalzas Reales ( es, Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales) is a royal monastery situated in Madrid, Spain, administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. History The ''Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales'', literally the "Monaste ...

of Madrid or the one in Setubal (

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the ...

). The pine tower, from the 16th century, was part of the wall enlargement carried out by the IV Duke of Gandia,

Saint Francis Borgia Francis Borgia ( ca-valencia, Francesc de Borja; es, Francisco de Borja; 28 October 1510 – 30 September 1572) was a Spanish Society of Jesus, Jesuit priest. The great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI, he was Duke of Gandía and a grandee o ...

. 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 Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba founded in 1388 and located about eight kilometres outside

, came under the protection of the

House of Borgia The House of Borgia ( , ; Spanish and an, Borja ; ca-valencia, Borja ) was an Italian-Aragonese Spanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. They were from Valencia, the surname being a toponymic from the town ...

in the 16th century. The Duchess of Gandia, Maria Enríquez de Luna, widow of the duke Giovanni Borgia and daughter-in-law of the

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...

, financed the monastery's enlargement such as the upper cloister of late Valencian Gothic style or the medieval cistern of the Orange Tree Patio. Later, also

frequented the monastery and his wife, Leonor de Castro, lady and intimate friend of the Empress

Isabella of Portugal Isabella of Portugal (24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was the empress consort and queen consort of her cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Duke of Burgundy. She was Queen of Spain and Germany, and La ...

, spent her last days in it recovering from her ailments. Simat de la Valldigna * In Simat we can find the Monastery of Santa María de la Valldigna, a Cistercian monastery built in 1298 by 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.

* Tower and walls of the Borgias: According to the tradition, Alfonso Borgia, the future Pope Calixtus III, was born in the Tower of Canals. * Opposite the tower we can find the Oratory of the Borgias, with a medieval altarpiece about the

Last Judgement The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

, by the master of Borboto. Both buildings are worth visiting. Xativa: The legacy of the Borja in Xativa is important. * In the Collegiate Basilica of Xàtiva where different members of the Borgia family are buried, is possible to see at the museum the altarpiece of the cardinal Alfonso Borgia and a silver chalice with the name of the Pope

Calixtus III Pope Callixtus III ( it, Callisto III, va, Calixt III, es, Calixto III; 31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), born Alfonso de Borgia ( va, Alfons de Borja), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April 1455 to his ...

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.

: The legacy of the family in the capital of the

was numerous. * In the Valencia Cathedral the Pope Callixtus III had the Chapel of "San Pedro" (

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupa ...

) built. The

, before becoming pope, ordered the Italian painter Paolo da San Leocadio to paint frescoes for the dome of the apse. This was part of the beginning of the Italian

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

painting in

. In the chapel devoted to

there are two

Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and e ...

canvasses for the fourth duke of Gandia. * The Palace of the Borgias, built by the first duke of Gandia and son of Alexander VI, Pedro Luis Borgia, is currently the headquarters for the Valencian Parliament (Cortes Valencianas). * The

(Estudio General) was founded in 1500 thanks to the papal bull of the Pope

. Its Renaissance cloister is worth seeing. * In the Church of San Nicolás, of which the Pope Callixtus III was rector before becoming Pope, in the door that overlooks to the square of San Nicolás, is remembered with tiles the prediction of Saint Vincent Ferrer according to which Alfonso de Borja would become Pope and then will canonize him.

Bibliography

*José María Cruselles Gómez
Los Borja en Valencia. Nota sobre historiografia, historicismo y pseudohistoria

.
Bibliography of the Route of the Borgias
Cámara de Valencia. * Santiago La Parra: "La ruta valenciana de los Borja". Escapadas-Punto Cero. Gandía, 1997. . * Antoni Atienza Peñarroja. "Els Borja, valencians". Editorial L'Oronella. Valencia. 2003. * Martí Domínguez: "Els Borja". CEIC "Alfons el Vell", Gandia, 1985. . * VV.AA.: Los Borja: del mundo gótico al universo renacentista (cat.exposición), Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia, Generalitat Valenciana, 2001. * VV.AA.: El hogar de los Borja (cat.exposición), Ajuntament de Xàtiva, 2001. * VV.AA.: Xàtiva. L’espai del Borja. Itinerari fotográfic, Ajuntament de Xàtiva, 1992. * VV.AA.: Els Borja a la sotsgovernació de Xàtiva (cat.exposición), Ajuntament de Xàtiva, 1994. * VV.AA.: Xàtiva, Els Borja. Una projecció Europea (cat.exposición), Ajuntament de Xàtiva, 1994.

References

External links

The Route

Official website of The Route of the Borgias

The Route of the Borgias

Guide of the route

The Route of the Borgias in Xativa

The Monuments

Website of the Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba

Website of the Ducal Palace of Gandía

Website of the Collegiate Basilica of Santa María of Gandía

Monastery of Santa Maria de la Valldigna

Website of the Collegiate Basilica of Xàtiva

Official site of Valencia Cathedral

{{coord missing, Spain House of Borgia History of the Valencian Community Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba Tourism in the Valencian Community Tourist attractions in the Valencian Community Cultural tourism in Spain