Heritage Xàtiva's historic center was declared a
Historic-Artistic Site in 1982, housing most of the city's heritage. who began constructing the Major Castle. The current complex features mainly Islamic or
Gothic architecture. It served as a state prison for the
Crown of Aragon and was considered the strongest fortress in the
Kingdom of Valencia. It was declared a National Monument in 1931.
Religious heritage •
Collegiate Basilica: Also known as the Seo, this cathedral-like temple with three naves, a
crossing, and an
ambulatory was built from 1596 over a former
mosque, with construction lasting until the 19th century due to financial issues. •
Church of San Pere: Built in the 14th century over a mosque in the Market Square, it follows the conquest temple model with three diaphragmatic arches and a Gothic-Mudéjar
coffered ceiling decorated with polychrome bands, vine leaves, geometric motifs, and coats of arms. •
Church of Sant Feliu: Dating to the 13th century, built over a
late imperial episcopal see, its porch features
Roman columns and
ashlar stones. • : Formerly the Church of San Miguel, attached to the former
Mercedarian convent, it was burned in 1707 during the
War of the Spanish Succession and rebuilt by the friars. • Church of Santos Juanes: Built around 1535 over a mosque, it has a Latin cross plan with barrel-vaulted side chapels, rebuilt after the 1707 burning. Its Buxcarró marble staircase is notable. • Church of Santa Tecla: Dating to the 14th century, it was heavily damaged in the 1707 Bourbon sieges and collapsed in the 1748 earthquake, though its bell tower remains. •
Convent of Sant Francesc: Begun in the 14th century, its restored church now serves as a concert hall, with a single nave and seven ribbed-vaulted side chapels. Nearby is the 1764 Rococo San Francisco fountain. • : Built in the 14th century, it included a refectory, cloister, chapter house, and church. Mostly demolished, it is being restored as a cultural center. • Convent of San Onofre el Nuevo: Built between 1715 and 1721 opposite the Church of San Pedro, near the former Cocentaina Gate, it features a two-story
cloister and a church with
tiles and
frescoes. • : Dating to the 15th century, only its
Flamboyant Gothic portal remains, now housing the Municipal Archive. The nearby 14th-century Trinidad fountain features an octagonal prism with faded Xàtiva and Kingdom of Valencia coats of arms. • Former Convent of San Agustín: Built in the 17th century, it features a magnificent Classicist cloister and is now the
UNED seat. Its deconsecrated church, partially without its bell tower due to a collapse, is a concert hall. •
Hermitage of Santa Ana: A
Gothic structure from the early 15th century, with a single nave, three ribbed vaults, and an apse. Its capitals feature the coats of arms of the
Crown of Aragon, Xàtiva, and the
Borgia family. • Hermitage of San José: Built in the early 18th century to plans by architect Francisco Cuenca, it has a
Latin cross plan with a semicircular apse and side chapels. Its tower incorporates the former Santa Bárbara hermitage and a sealed door, traditionally the
Aljama entrance used by
James I of Aragon after the conquest.
Civil heritage • : A
Gothic building constructed between 1530 and 1548, notable for its facade and inner courtyard with
Ionic columns. The ground floor was used for wheat trading, while the upper floor stored grain until 1919, when it became the Fine Arts Museum and later the City Museum. • : Begun in the 15th century and completed in the mid-16th century, it was destroyed in 1707 and rebuilt in the early 18th century. Its quadrangular plan includes a courtyard and garden. The stone facade is
Renaissance, with a
Plateresque main portal and a
Late Gothic chapel portal. Notable are the four main-floor windows, a gallery of small balconies with
semicircular arches under the eaves, and a fountain in the garden. The chapel's original
vault of the Assumption is preserved. •
Palace of Alarcón: Built between 1715 and 1730, it now serves as the Palace of Justice. • : Begun in the early 17th century and expanded in the 1920s, it now houses the city's House of Culture. • Palace of the Marquis of Montortal: Located on the noble Moncada street, this 15th-century medieval urban palace features a stone portal with long dovetails and wrought-iron balconies with
tiles. • Palace of the Archdeacon: Built in the 15th century as the archdeacon's seat near the Seo, its portal bears the coat of arms of
Callixtus III and two from the Borja-Oms branch, possibly linked to
Rodrigo or
Cesare Borgia. • Palace of the Lords of Estubeny: An 18th-century urban palace with 19th-century ornamental additions, it briefly hosted Queen •
Palace of the Lords of Estubeny: An urban palace adhering to 18th-century architectural standards with 19th-century ornamental additions, where Queen
Isabella II of Spain briefly resided during her stay in Xàtiva. • : A residential building in the
Modernist style, constructed in 1906, located opposite the town hall where the city wall and part of the Portal del Lleó once stood. The fountain associated with the portal was later moved a few meters to the left when facing the main façade. It was the first building in the Valencian Community to use iron beams alongside traditional wooden ones. Notable features include its intricately carved wooden lookout tower topped with iron balconies.
Historic fountains • : A historical and ornamental fountain from the 19th century, located in the city center • : A historical and ornamental fountain from the 18th century, situated in the San Pedro neighborhood • : A historical and ornamental fountain from the 15th century, located in the
Plaça de la Trinitat • : A historical and ornamental fountain from the 18th century, situated in the ''Plaça d'Aleixandre VI'' •
Roca Square Royal Fountain: Constructed in 1841, this central-plan fountain features an elongated basin with semicircular ends and a hexagonal stone pillar, clearly
Gothic in style, likely repurposed from an earlier fountain dated 1432. •
San Francisco Royal Fountain: Rebuilt in 1764 by stonemason Marcos Piqueres in the
Baroque style. It features an image of Saint Francis above the basin, replacing the original statue lost in the late 19th century. •
Fish Royal Fountain: A central-plan fountain designed for animals to drink from the basin and humans from its four spouts. Built in the mid-19th century for the Plaça de la Bassa, it was relocated to its current position in the Plaça del Trinquet in 1972. •
Santo Domingo Fountain: A small square-basin fountain with modest dimensions and a simple pillar adorned with ornamental spouts
Museums •
City Museum: Located in the Municipal Almodín Museum, the oldest in Xàtiva, on
Corretgeria street, it was inaugurated in 1917, with its collections declared a
Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) in 1962. It displays artifacts from Xàtiva's history, ranging from Paleolithic remains found in
Cova Negra to items from the Islamic period, including a unique 11th-century basin significant in Islamic culture. •
Fine Arts Museum: Housed in the , inaugurated in 2015, it features painting collections by artists such as
Ribera,
Goya,
Vicente López,
Santiago Rusiñol,
Benlliure, and Antoni Miró. The museum also houses the iconic portrait of Philip V, moved from the Municipal Almodín Museum, displayed upside down as a symbol of the city's resentment for his ordering the burning and destruction of Xàtiva in 1707 during the heroic defense against
Bourbon troops in the
War of the Spanish Succession. •
Collegiate Museum: Located inside the Collegiate Basilica (
la Seu), inaugurated in 1996, it showcases a notable collection of sacred art, including Gothic paintings. Highlights include a painting of
Saint Sebastian attributed to
Jacomart, traditionally believed to have been modeled after the poet
Ausiàs March, and a golden Gothic chalice donated by
Pope Callixtus III to the city's Collegiate Basilica. •
Corpus Museum: Located in Casa Santandreu, part of the former Santo Domingo Convent complex, inaugurated in 2019, it contains instruments, costumes, and objects, including , from the city's
Corpus Christi procession, dating back to the 14th century.
Theaters •
Gran Teatro: Inaugurated in 2001, the building, designed by architect Gerardo Ayala, has a capacity of 800 seats and includes a commercial area. It serves multiple purposes, hosting concerts, operas, theatrical performances, institutional events, and conferences.
Festivals • or
Xàtiva Fair: Celebrated from August 15 to 20 by royal privilege of
James I of Aragon since 1250, it is declared a
Festival of National Tourist Interest. Over five days, the streets and squares of Xàtiva host fairground attractions, commercial stalls, and cultural activities, attracting up to 250,000 people. The livestock fair, the original purpose of the event, has become secondary, though it remains appealing during the first three days' Cattle Fair. Notable events include the draft horse pulling contest, the traditional
albaes singing night, the on an urban circuit, and the revived
Festival de la Cançó. • : Celebrated from March 15 to 19, as in much of the
Province of Valencia, in honor of
Saint Joseph. a baked rice dish made from the broth of . == Sister cities ==