Xàtiva’s castle, which clasps the summit of a double-peaked hill overlooking the old town, is one of the most evocative and interesting in the Valencia region. Behind its battlements you’ll find gardens, towers, fortified gates and other buildings (some used in the 20th century and hence much changed), such as dungeons and a pretty Gothic chapel. The walk up to the castle is a long one (2km from the town center following the road), but the views are sensational.
If you think it's big today, imagine what it must have looked like 300 years ago at full size. Sadly, it was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1748 and never really recovered.
Before the current incarnation, the castle hill was always a fortified vantage point thanks to its crucial strategic position. It was important in the wars between Rome and Carthage, as well as in the Roman strife of the 1st century BCE.
