In Xirivella, churches, historic buildings and agricultural traditions tell different sides of the town’s story. The 17th-century parish church, the old town of Arab origin and the area surrounded by the Huerta provide cultural and rural points of interest for a trip. Other highlights include the annual Mostra Internacional de Pallasses i Pallassos and a cuisine featuring regional rice dishes and sausages. When planning your visit, consider whether architectural history, agricultural heritage, the festival or the local cuisine should shape your stay.
Churches and historic architectural traces
The Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Salud is considered Xirivella’s most important building. The parish church dates from the 17th century and has a Latin cross floor plan. Its architecture also includes a bell tower and side chapels. This allows the building to be understood in terms of both its age and its specific floor plan.
The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Salud offers a different architectural impression: this small religious building has a plain white façade. A local tradition is also associated with it. According to the story, the ermita stands where the image that gave it its name is said to have been found. The story remains part of local tradition and is not presented as a verified historical event.
The building façades also feature numerous ceramic altarpieces from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Stations of the Cross depicted beneath them show various scenes from Holy Week. Together, these works offer a glimpse of religious motifs and aspects of the local heritage. They differ from the architectural traces, which focus on floor plans, construction dates or former uses.
The old town’s layout is of Arab origin. Its narrow streets and some of the old houses still standing there form another part of the town’s history. Historic buildings include La Closa, a restored 14th-century structure in the former Cap de Baix, and Casa del Dau. Casa del Dau also dates from the 14th century and has been restored. Rent was paid to the Order of Calatrava there. For this building, then, its former use is as much a focus as its construction date.
Huerta and agricultural heritage
Xirivella is surrounded by the Huerta landscape. Its agricultural heritage includes irrigation wells, farmhouses and traditional cebere structures used to store onions. These features point to different aspects of rural life: irrigation, agricultural buildings and a specific form of storage. In this way, agricultural history complements the churches and old town with a focus of its own.
You can explore the agricultural heritage on foot, following a route or taking a stroll. If you want to make this aspect of Xirivella the focus of your visit, you can treat it as a separate theme for your trip and plan your walk accordingly. This exploration differs in focus from visiting the historic buildings: here, the landscape and agricultural landmarks take centre stage.
Festival and local cuisine
The Mostra Internacional de Pallasses i Pallassos de Xirivella takes place every year and is recognised as an event of provincial tourist interest. Alongside comedy performances, the programme includes street entertainment games, exhibitions, conferences, award ceremonies, courses and workshops. The specific programme may vary. If the Mostra is the reason for your trip, check the event dates before making plans.
The cuisine also offers a distinctive way to experience the town. Xirivella’s rice dishes include paella, arròs al forn and arròs amb fessols i naps. The typical sausages include botifarres de ceba and botifarres en oli. Rice dishes and sausages showcase different aspects of the local cuisine rather than reducing it to a single dish.
If you are planning to attend an event, check the dates and plan the rest of your visit around whichever aspects of the town interest you most.
Discover more destinations: Favara, La Font D'en Carròs, Llanera de Ranes, San Rafael Del Río, Jalance, Alginet, Manises, Vilamarxant
Return to the main travel overview: Valencia.
