There are few skies as blue as Valencia’s. The bright light seems to make Xátiva even more beautiful. It looks like a storm of golden rain has washed the city, polishing its bronzes and its domes.
It’s essential to walk through Xátiva from the tree-lined Selgas avenue to Moncada street. Once there, you can admire the splendid ancestral houses and then loose yourself in the narrow streets of the old quarters. At the beginning of the 17th century, Xátiv was burnt and almost destroyed, but is still able to conserve some magnificent medieval buildings. Despite being enclosed and unorganized, the structure of the houses are very vivid and painteresque. The only problem is there isn’t enough space to be able to rightfully admire them. The Collegiate Church is stupendous with its diverse styles. The same can be said for the Royal Hospital and the beautiful and peaceful San Francisco church. The streets rise little by little before dead ending next to the Sierra Vernisa. The imposing 10th century walled castle sits about the city, watching over it. From up above, one can understand its thousand-year-old relevance, seeing the old quarters curled up and the new areas extending each day towards the coast. The olive and orange tree fields seem to go on forever.