Xàtiva deserves a night and an exploration. The castle is one of the most impressive in the Valencian Community — a double fortification stretching along the ridge above the town with panoramic views that on clear days reach the sea. The climb up is steep but worth every step.
The old town below the castle is a pleasure to wander, with narrow streets, handsome churches, and the Colegiata Basílica de Santa María. The Museo del Almodí, in a former grain exchange, has a good collection that includes a famously upside-down portrait of Felipe V — hung that way by the townspeople as punishment for burning their city in 1707 during the War of Spanish Succession.
Xàtiva has all services — restaurants, accommodation, supermarkets, pharmacy. It's the most interesting town between Valencia and Almansa.
Xàtiva is one of Europe's paper-making pioneers — the first paper mill in Europe may have operated here under Moorish rule. The town was also the birthplace of the Borja family (Italianized as Borgia), who produced two popes: Callixtus III and the notorious Alexander VI. The castle has been fortified since Iberian and Roman times, and the town was an important center under both Moorish and Christian rule. Felipe V burned Xàtiva after the Battle of Almansa in 1707 as punishment for supporting the Habsburg cause.
