The Borgia Route in Valencia

The Borgia family left a deep mark on the history of our city. Their legacy is reflected in monuments, churches, and palaces that still today speak of the splendor of the Renaissance and the Valencian Golden Age.

Walking this route is a journey back in time through frescoes, altars, and landmark buildings where art, religion, and power intertwine. Which stops make up the route?

Palace of the Borja

Discover the Palace of the Borja in Valencia, a Renaissance residence of the influential Borja family and now home to Les Corts Valencianes, with its impressive façade preserving the splendour of the era.

Valencia Cathedral

The Borgias promoted the construction of chapels and commissioned several works of art. Notable among them are the Chapel of Saint Francis Borgia and the Renaissance paintings of the main altar. Additionally, the Cathedral houses the Holy Grail. The Borgia Popes, such as Callixtus III and Alexander VI, also left their mark, decisively supporting the Cathedral’s Renaissance splendor.

Saint Francis Borgia Chapel

This space is notable for housing two fundamental works by Goya:

Saint Francis Borgia bidding farewell to his family: portrays the moment the saint leaves the Ducal Palace of Gandía to join the Society of Jesus.

Saint Francis Borgia attending to a dying man: a dramatic scene where the priest offers salvation to a sick man who rejects forgiveness in the face of lurking demons.

The Cathedral

San Nicolás Church

Known as the Valencian Sistine Chapel, the beautiful San Nicolás Church was also a place of reference for the Borgias. Alfonso de Borja, the future Pope Callixtus III, was the rector of the parish in the 15th century, and under his direction, a profound reconstruction was promoted that gave the temple its current Gothic character.

Visit it