Xàtiva
Xàtiva is a town in eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, on the right bank of the river Albaida and at the junction of the Valencia–Murcia and Valencia Albacete railways, in the north of the Central Comarcas and serves as the capital of La Costera comarca. It holds the distinction of having the highest number of enclaves in Spain, totaling twenty-six. It is located 25 km west of the Mediterranean Sea. During the Al-Andalus Islamic era, Arabs brought the technology to manufacture paper to Xàtiva. In the 12th century, Xàtiva was known for its schools, education, and learning circles. Islamic scholar Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi's last name refers to Xàtiva where he lived and died. After the Reconquista by Northern Christian kingdoms and the following Christian repopulation, the city became the cradle of one of the most powerful and controversial families of the Renaissance, the House of Borgia, which produced Popes like Callixtus III and Alexander VI.
Historically, Xàtiva was a prominent town in the Kingdom of Valencia, rivaling Valencia and Orihuela during the foral period. It is the birthplace of the Borgia popes and preserves a rich artistic heritage, despite suffering significant destruction in 1707 by Bourbon troops during the War of the Spanish Succession. In 1822, it briefly served as the capital of the Province of Xàtiva, which was dissolved in 1833 following the 1833 territorial division of Spain. In the late 1970s, Xàtiva was proposed as a potential capital for the Valencian Community due to its historical and geographic significance, avoiding tensions between Alicante and Valencia. The city's population is approximately 30,378. Together with nearby municipalities, it forms an integrated urban area with around 61,000 inhabitants in 2023.
Etymology
Xàtiva is one of the few Spanish cities to retain a pre-Roman toponym. The Iberians knew it as Saiti, which evolved into Saitabi or Saetabis in Latin. Under Muslim rule, it was called مَدينَة شاطِبَة, leading to the Valencian Xàtiva. In 1707, Philip V of Spain renamed it San Felipe. The Cortes of Cádiz restored the name in 1811 as the Castilianized Xátiva, which was later adapted to the academic spelling Játiva. It officially reverted to its Valencian form Xàtiva by a decree of the Valencian Council on January 7, 1980.History
Xàtiva was famous in Roman times for its linen fabrics, mentioned by the Latin poets Ovid and Catullus. Xàtiva is also known as an early European centre of paper manufacture. In the 12th century, Arabs brought the technology to manufacture paper to Xàtiva.It is the birthplace of two popes, Callixtus III and Alexander VI, and also the painter José Ribera. It suffered a dark moment in its history at the hands of Philip V of Spain, who, after his victory at the Battle of Almansa during the War of the Spanish Succession, had the city besieged then ordered it to be burned and renamed San Felipe. In memory of the insult, the portrait of the monarch hangs upside down in the local.
Xàtiva was briefly a provincial capital under the short-lived 1822 territorial division of Spain, during the Trienio Liberal. The Province of Xàtiva was revoked with the return to absolutism in 1823.
Prehistory and Antiquity
Evidence of settlement in Xàtiva dates back to the Middle Paleolithic, as shown by findings at Cova Negra. The city originates from the Iberian culture, known as . Due to over 2,300 years of continuous settlement in the same area, ancient remains are scarce, as materials were reused repeatedly, explaining the paucity of Iberian artifacts. The original settlement is identified at the site of the current Minor Castle.Romanization began in the 2nd century BC, with Saitabi flourishing and minting its own coins, featuring a three-pointed star at 8, 12, and 4 o'clock, resembling the modern Mercedes-Benz logo. It was elevated to a Roman municipium named Saetabis Augusta in honor of Emperor Augustus. During the Roman Empire, Xàtiva was a key commercial hub along the Via Augusta, renowned for flax production and textile manufacturing. The Roman poet Catullus mentions the lintea or sudaria Saetaba ex Hiberis, gifts from his friends Veranius and Fabullus, in his poem 12. Few Roman remains are visible, as stones were reused for later constructions, and the site saw intensive agricultural use. Over a dozen cisterns remain. In the Late Roman Empire, Saetabis became an episcopal see, with its bishops attending the Councils of Toledo during the Visigothic period. In Visigothic Spain, it was an under the Archdiocese of Toledo, part of the Roman province of Carthaginensis in the Diocese of Hispania.
Middle Ages
Following the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711, the city was named Medina مَدينَة شاطِبَة. It became a fortified stronghold, praised by the 12th-century geographer Al-Idrisi for the beauty and strength of its castles. It belonged successively to the Taifa of Toledo, Taifa of Córdoba, Taifa of Almería, Taifa of Dénia, and Taifa of Murcia. In 1094, it served as a refuge for Almoravid troops defeated by El Cid in the Battle of Cuarte. This link to El Cid includes Xàtiva in the Camino del Cid. By the early 13th century, it was the capital of a small Muslim state dependent on Valencia, stretching from the Júcar River in the north to Biar in the south. Xàtiva was a pioneer in paper production in Western Europe.After conquering Valencia in 1238, James I of Aragon besieged Xàtiva in 1240 but lifted the siege after a truce with the Muslim governor. Conflicts between the governor and the Castilians prompted James I to intervene again, capturing the city in 1244, shortly after signing the Treaty of Almizra with Alfonso X of Castile. Upon surrender, James I preserved the mosque, which stood until the 16th century. The expelling of the Muslim population was bitterly resented and recounted by the 13th-century historian and contemporary Ibnul Abbar in his book “Al-Hulla Siyaraa” in which he described the expulsion as a ‘blatant breach of the former agreement’. Under Christian rule, as Xàtiva, it became the second most important city in the Kingdom of Valencia, though it did not regain its episcopal status. It led a homonymous governorship. The Morisco population was expelled from the walled city and resettled in rural areas and the San Juan suburb, while the Jews retained their juderías near the Santa Tecla gate. The castle and walls were strengthened between 1287 and 1369, and water supply improved with the Bellús and Agua Santa aqueducts. In 1347, King Peter IV of Aragon granted it city status.
Early Modern Period
By the late 15th century, Xàtiva had around 8,000 inhabitants and was at its peak. It administered a vast municipal term, now corresponding to 37 municipalities, and a governorship spanning from the Júcar River to Caudete, Biar, Castalla, Xixona, and Villajoyosa, covering 4,750 km². Beyond administrative roles, it had military significance, and economic and commercial functions. The expulsion of the Moriscos led to the loss of nearly half the governorship's population, depopulating over 100 settlements. This demographic crisis, coupled with economic decline and 17th-century plague epidemics, further reduced the population.During the War of the Spanish Succession, Xàtiva supported Archduke Charles, enduring harsh sieges by Bourbon troops led by Asfeld. The city was heavily damaged, looted, and much of its population massacred or exiled. Traditionally, it is said to have been burned for a year, earning its residents the nickname socarrats. A plan to demolish much of the city and rebuild was abandoned due to technical and property issues. The greatest affront was the dismemberment of its governorship, loss of civic functions, and renaming to Colonia Nueva de San Phelipe, or simply San Felipe.
Contemporary Period
Throughout the 18th century, Xàtiva recovered, with 12,655 inhabitants by 1787, prompting new urban works. However, the 1748 earthquakes caused significant damage, destroying the Santa Tecla church and leaving the castle nearly abandoned. The economy declined by the late 18th century, as the new Royal Road from Madrid to Valencia bypassed the city by 4 km, begun in 1776. In 1811, the Cortes of Cádiz restored the name Xàtiva, largely due to the efforts of Joaquín Lorenzo Villanueva. Economically, the city suffered a major setback between 1810 and 1830 with the near-total collapse of its flax and silk textile industry, leaving about 1,300 people jobless. From 1822 to 1823, it served as the capital of the Province of Xàtiva, though this was not confirmed in the 1833 territorial division, when it was included in the Province of Valencia. The railway's arrival in 1858, with the opened on December 20, 1854, boosted connectivity, between Valencia and. However, this did not halt demographic stagnation, exacerbated by , which emptied convents, and the abolition of seigniorial rights, prompting the exodus of about fifty noble families. The population declined until 1910, when immigration spurred growth, which continued slowly from the 1960s due to rural exodus and Xàtiva's specialization as a service city.During the Spanish Civil War, Xàtiva remained loyal to the Second Spanish Republic until the war's end, hosting some war industries. On February 12, 1939, it suffered a bombing by Italian aircraft of the Aviazione Legionaria, targeting the railway station and surroundings. The attack killed 129 people and injured over 200, many of them women and children at the station awaiting a military convoy.
Geography
Located in La Costera comarca, Xàtiva is 62 km from the city of Valencia. The municipality is crossed by the A-7 Mediterranean Motorway, the regional roads CV-620 and , and local roads connecting to Vallés, Novelé, Genovés, Barxeta, Llocnou d'En Fenollet, L'Énova, Manuel, and Llosa de Ranes.The municipality lies in the strategic Montesa corridor between the basins of the and its tributary, the. Its perimeter is highly irregular, with several territorial enclaves resulting from historical segregations of its once-larger municipal term, which included over sixty villages.
The terrain features four distinct units. In the north, the Santa Anna range, a Triassic outcrop, reaches 230 m. South of this range, between Llosa de Ranes and Xàtiva, lies a broad, nearly flat valley at 80–100 m, covered with Quaternary sediments and irrigated by the, Carnissers ravine, and, which waters Xàtiva's fertile orchards. East of the Albaida stands the Puig hill, topped by the ruins of the Our Lady of Puig hermitage. South of the orchards, the terrain becomes rugged with the Bernisa range, an anticline with near-vertical limestone walls reaching 454 m. South of this lies the valley, colored by albariza soils, and further south, the Serra Grossa forms the boundary with the Vall d'Albaida, reaching 498 m.
Altitudes range from 498 m in the southwest to 50 m along the. The city itself is situated at 120 m above sea level, at the foot of the castle hill, with some houses extending up its slopes and others spreading into the flatter valley.