THE OLD TOWN OF JATIVA

As you wander the peaceful streets of the old town, there are some wonderful churches and buildings to admire, many dating from Jativa's rebuilding after Philip V burnt the town in 1707. Among them is the collegiate church of La Seu, built with Borja money in 1595, a vast Renaissance structure with a Gothic nave. Opposite stands the Hospital Real, dating from the 15th century, its lovely facade adorned with a ring of beautifully carved angels encircling the Madonna over the main door. Look out, too, for the Romanesque church of San Francisco, Sant Pere and the house where Borja Pope Alexander II was born. Other fine mansions include the Palacio del Marques de Montortal, a lovely 15th century building with later additions, and the 19thcentury Casa de Diego.

The old town's streets are punctuated with little plazas, many of them filled with the sound of splashing water from the numerous fountains. The simple one in the tiny plaza outside the Palace of Justice is Gothic in style and the town's only surviving medieval fountain. On the edge of the old quarter you'll find the Font de las 25 Canelles, a fountain erected in 1794 with 25 spouts. Surprises are around every corner peaceful squares and graceful mansions, with the added attraction that few tourists have yet discovered.