Gandia Attractions

Church of Santa Maria. Collegiate is from 1499. The temple was probably built in the late 14th century or the beginning of the 15th century. It is of Gothic style, mixed with designs from other ages and was extended in the 16th century.

There are valuable works of art such as the altarpiece of the high altar, designed by Paolo de San Leocadio and Damian Forment size, the choir of the 16th century, and a valuable treasure highlighting the custody processional, a masterpiece of the 16th century.

Local Festivals

San Antonio Abad. January 17 is dedicated to San Antoni del Porquet and the people celebrate with bonfires.

Faults. On March 16 the traditional Fallas is celebrated. The city of Gandia has 22 faults (20 in the city and two in Grao de Gandia).

Easter. Easter is a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest. The city has 18 sororities during Easter celebrations. Highlights are the meeting between Holy Thursday and Sorrows of Nazareth, the Holy Burial Procession on Good Friday, and the meeting of the Glorious Resurrection Sunday. It also interprets the Visitatio Sepulcri, musical work attributed to St. Francis de Borja.

The core of the medieval village is around the streets of Rio and the Plaza Mayor. These flow into other side streets. They are surrounded by a wall built at the beginning of the 14th century.

The Jews were living in the northeast section, and the Moors (Rabal) were separated from the village and had a mosque on the site of the Church of San Jose. At the end of the 16th century, a continuous series of earthquakes caused the collapse of large buildings.

The walls disappeared in the late 19th century and are now only three towers between the Pious Schools College, the Torreon del Pino and Torreta Rivers, and Perez de Culla street.

Town Hall. It occupies a building with a neoclassical facade in which you can read an inscription with the name of the king at the time, Carlos III.

Famous and Illustrious People from Gandia

March Ausias, poet of the 15th century.

Joanot Martorell, Valencian writer of the 15th century.

Joan Rois de Corella, writer of the 15th century.

Francisco de Borja, Duke of Gandia, political and religious official from the 16th century.

Ximo Rovira, TV presenter.

Erika Sanz, actress and dancer.

San Juan Bautista. The night between June 23 and 24, fires burn in San Juan, which is traditional on the Mediterranean coast, celebrating the beginning of the summer.

Our Lady of Mount Caramel. On July 16 seaside holidays are celebrated in honor of the Virgen del Carmen in Grao de Gandia (port area).

Fairs and Festivals. Around October 3, in honor of the municipal employer, San Francisco de Borja.

Gastronomy

Gandia is said to be the cradle of the popular fideua. Sailors rice, seafood casserole (suquet of peix), and paella dishes are more common. Another highlight is the figatells, a kind of meatball with pig kidney and liver.

A famous dessert is the corn cake (DACSA cokes), which is often accompanied by various fillings such as tomato and egg, anchovies, chaplain, or spinach.

All this was destroyed in 1936 during the civil war, as well as its rich archive. The two Gothic doors, the St. Mary and the Apostles, the latter work of Damien Forment, with beautiful figures in 1936, disappeared in the process of restoration.

Ducal Palace of Gandia. Among the most important monuments of the city is the Ducal Palace, which has undergone numerous renovations. This is the birthplace of San Francisco de Borja. It emphasizes the Patio de Armas and the Gothic Golden Gallery of the 17th century, with original tiles from that period.

It is considered one of the most important noble houses of the Crown of Aragon. The room of Francisco de Borja is preserved almost as it was then and can only be seen from outside.