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.
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?
Borgia Palace
Located facing the Turia Garden, this elegant Renaissance palace was the main residence of the influential Borgia family. Today, the Borgia Palace houses the Les Corts Valencianes, but it retains the essence of that era in its monumental façade.
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. In the Chapel of Saint Francis Borgia, two Goya masterpieces are preserved, highlighting the artistic importance of this space:
«Saint Francis Borgia bidding farewell to his family» depicts the saint leaving his loved ones at the Ducal Palace of Gandia to join the Society of Jesus.
In «Saint Francis Borgia attending an unrepentant dying man», the Jesuit priest tends to a dying man who refuses forgiveness, in a dramatic scene where Christ’s blood acts as salvation while demons lurk around the soul of the ill man.
Cathedral and Holy Grail
The Cathedral is a beautiful mixture of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic styles. The Holy Chalice is preserved inside the Cathedral and if you go up the 207 steps of the Miguelete tower you will be able to enjoy a 360º view of the city.
Church of Saint Nicholas
Known as the Valencian Sistine Chapel, the beautiful Church of Saint Nicholas was also a reference place for the Borgias. Alfonso de Borgia, future Pope Callixtus III, was parish rector in the 15th century, and under his direction a profound reconstruction was carried out that gave the temple its current Gothic character.
Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari y San Pedro Mártir de Valencia
Known as the Valencian Sistine Chapel. Open your eyes wide to admire its spectacular frescoes depicting the lives of Saint Nicholas of Bari and Saint Peter Martyr — a must-visit.
