We all have an idyllic image of what a castle should be like.
Although Disney has done its job, we can still look for certain pure lines, without sweeteners, in old strongholds of the past.
Some of them are so close that we forget to visit them frequently, as they undoubtedly deserve.
One of these strongholds is the Benissanó castle, in Valencia.
About half an hour by car north of the Valencian capital, Benissanó is located on a hill where Jaume I's conquerors found a small village.
It currently has just over 2,000 inhabitants and, however, offers visitors a surprisingly well-preserved vestige of the past: its castle.
The old medieval tower was expanded in the 15th century to form a charming citadel with Renaissance airs that has survived practically intact to our time.
With its seductive battlements and its dissuasive towers, it constitutes one of the heritage jewels of the Camp de Túria region, which takes its name from the river that originates in the Montes Universales and flows into Valencia, whose unsuspecting population it surprised in the famous riuada
of
1957. After this urban flood, the channel of the Turia moved south and no longer crosses the city, which in return gained a splendid garden.
More information
Valencia is burning
The most unique thing about Benissanó Castle is its double appearance of fortress and palace.
In 1996 it was acquired by the City Council and the Generalitat from its previous owner, Caja Madrid.
Since then it has been public, although, according to local complaints, it is not very noticeable.
As a stronghold, in reality, it does not suffer from anything: it has a parade ground and a dungeon, although what characterizes it most precisely are its noble rooms, sumptuously decorated with tiles from the Càrcer factory (14th century) and from the accredited Manises workshops.
In these rooms, Francis I of France, a great enemy of the Spanish king Charles V and promoter of absolutism, was held briefly in the 16th century for a short time.
In Benissanó there is a firm love for this stage of monarchical atonement: the retention of Francisco I has given rise to various local legends, all very picturesque.
The visitor who has come here attracted by this mythical castle should take advantage of the opportunity to explore the region in depth.
Among the heritage landmarks of Camp de Túria is its capital, Llíria, with rich archaeological remains.
UNESCO declared it a Creative City of Music in 2019, and it is worth exploring the remains of its mausoleums and Roman baths.
In another town in the region, Olocau, there is an Iberian museum of extraordinary interest.
It is fundamentally nourished by the finds in Puntal dels Llops, a settlement from the 5th century BC that is also a privileged observatory of the environment.
Olocau opens precisely to the Serra Calderona, the great green lung of the region, declared a natural park by the Generalitat in 2002. There are 18,000 hectares that culminate the Iberian System before its arrival on the Mediterranean coast.
Hiking lovers have a small paradise here.
It is, however, an intensely humanized landscape: the cultivated fields (carob trees, olive trees) give it a Phoenician and Greek air, and its margins erected following the dry stone technique recall a common Mediterranean background with deep roots.
View of the Serra Calderona natural park, in the Camp de Túria region (Valencia).Wirestock / GETTY IMAGES
If after satisfying the desire for nature one decides to attend a totally different scenario, the idea is to travel to the municipality of Altura (without leaving La Calderona).
In its terminus, at an altitude of 800 meters, the sanctuary of the Virgin of the Holy Cave, patron saint of speleologists, is hidden in the depths of the mountain.
Here, in 1511, a Marian apparition took place, a circumstance that is now commemorated in a secluded and sleepy chapel.
If with all these adventures we have become hungry, it is advisable to return to Benissanó and go to the Levante restaurant.
In this establishment they pride themselves on making an authentic Valencian paella “without tricks or cardboard.”
Three generations of chefs have been carrying out this titanic effort since 1968. And to certify their commitment, they organize a
paella
master class that they offer in small groups.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by 𝙇𝙀𝙑𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙐𝙍𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙀Ⓢ (@levante_benisano)
It is a truly peculiar ceremony, which begins with some hearty appetizers: tosta de ajoarriero de g
arrofó
(the bean characteristic of Valencian paella),
esgarraet
(cod salad), tipillas with broad beans and young garlic... The end of These appetizers usually coincide with the completion of the cooking of the rice, which in the case of a canonical paella must always be measured with great precision.
After the meal, participants are presented with a Master Paellero diploma.
At this point, diners, if they are not from the area, have already understood that paella in Valencia, more than a recipe to enjoy with family and friends, is an authentic religion.
And the Levante restaurant in Benissanó, one of its most accredited temples.
Joan Garí
is the author of
La vida plenament viscuda
(Vincle publishing house).
Subscribe here to the
El Viajero newsletter
and find inspiration for your next trips on our
,
X
and
Instagram accounts
.