Iit’s time to discover the Ducal Palace and its charms with LOCK & enjoy! we urge you to keep on reading to discover this gem of Valencian heritage. We’d also like to mention that this town is very close to Valencia, making it easy to get there.
Discover the Ducal Palace and its charms
The Ducal Palace is located in Gandia, just 70 kilometres from the city of Valencia. This means that you can either take the commuter train, a bus, or even drive. This palace was the home of the famous Borgia family for more than 300 years. If you’ve never heard of them, we can tell you that they were a noble Valencian family who greatly influenced the past. In fact, two of its members even served as the pope: Callixtus III and Alexander VI.
You can visit this palace whenever you like, since it is open every day of the week, even on weekends. Not only this, depending on the time of year, it hosts conferences, activities, and exhibitions.
Worried about where to store your luggage? Here at LOCK & enjoy!, we have lockers in Valencia of different sizes where you can store your belongings. Our luggage storage service offers the highest safety guarantees, since we have round-the-clock supervision.
Are you ready to explore the Ducal Palace and delve into the ins and outs of the era’s nobility? Here at LOCK & enjoy!, we hope you like it as much as we do.
The palace’s halls
The Crown Hall is, perhaps, the Ducal Palace’s most prominent feature. It gets its name from the double crown that adorns the entire coffered ceiling. On its walls hang 8 painted fabrics depicting scenes from the life of Francis Borgia, in addition to a series of 16th-century tiles.
Another one of the palace’s main spaces is the Eagles Hall. Here you can appreciate the presence of Baroque art in every corner, as well as the birds that adorn the gold-leaf covered frieze. Get your camera ready!
Furthermore, the neo-Gothic chapel is also sure to impress you. It was built when it was acquired by the Society of Jesus, and it is consecrated to Saint Francis Borgia. We’re certain that the grand ribbed vault and the magnificent rose window will blow you away. And as if this weren’t enough, in this chapel you’ll also find tiles originating from Manises that date back to the 16th century.
Treasures
The Ducal Palace hides several secrets and details that are worth discovering for their relevance and beauty:
- Gothic wall paintings: These can be found in the Ceramic Band Room and they date back to the 13th and 14th centuries. They’re truly fascinating.
- Ceramics: The entire architectural structure is full of ceramic wall art, since for centuries ceramics were used to decorate floors and skirting boards. They are very well-preserved and you can see them in the Torrecilla Room, the Crown Hall, and the Golden Gallery.
- Death mask of Francis Borgia: Death masks were made to remember the deceased and they were very popular until the 19th century. In this case, it is perfectly preserved and holds great value, since it is one of the first images we have of this renowned figure. Subsequently, it served as inspiration for numerous works of art.
We’re certain that every corner of the palace will captivate you, transporting you back to the past through all five senses!
Historical figures
Over time, numerous figures have marked the palace with their presence all around the estate. Let’s have a look at some of them.
First of all, Alfonso of Aragon is certainly worth mentioning. He was very famous for his military acts of bravery and for his political insight in the so-called War of the Two Peters. These achievements earned him several noble titles, such as the Duke of Gandia.
Next, we have Peter of Ribagorza. He had significant political influence during his time, since he was the fourth son of King James II. Due to his favourable relationship with his brother, he was given the most influential titles under the Crown of Aragon. As a result, he accumulated numerous properties in the kingdom of Valencia, whose centre was Gandia, which served as his primary residence.
Of course, we have to mention María Enríquez de Luna. She was the first cousin of King Ferdinand the Catholic. With the help of Pope Alexander VI, she promoted Renaissance modernity in Gandia, as well as architectural improvements in several parts of the city. She was also responsible for restructuring the town’s accounts.
Finally, we encourage you to visit this magnificent estate of Valencian heritage to uncover all of its secrets. Here at LOCK & enjoy!, you can find luggage storage near you. This way, you can forget about your bags while you explore Gandia. At LOCK & enjoy! we have different types of lockers to suit all budgets.
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