{"id":3121,"date":"2026-08-09T00:41:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T22:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/?p=3121"},"modified":"2026-08-09T00:41:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T22:41:48","slug":"jaume-i-gandia-bairen-medieval-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/jaume-i-gandia-bairen-medieval-town\/","title":{"rendered":"Jaume I and Gandia: from the Castell de Bair\u00e9n to the medieval town"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The medieval history of Gandia is bound to Jaume I the Conqueror and the Castell de Bair\u00e9n.<\/strong> The agreed surrender of this fortress in 1240 marked the start of a new era, as the region\u2019s focal point shifted from the mountains to the fertile plain where the town grew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<style>\n@media (max-width: 600px) {\n  .post-inline-photo {\n    float: none !important;\n    width: min(100%, 320px) !important;\n    margin: 1.5em auto !important;\n  }\n  .post-inline-photo img {\n    display: block;\n    width: auto !important;\n    max-width: 100% !important;\n    height: auto !important;\n    margin: 0 auto;\n  }\n  .post-inline-photo .wp-image-2798 {\n    width: min(100%, 250px) !important;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized post-inline-photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jaume-i-jaume-mateu.webp\" alt=\"Medieval portrait of Jaume I the Conqueror wearing a crown\" class=\"wp-image-2796\" style=\"width:260px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jaume-i-jaume-mateu.webp 900w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jaume-i-jaume-mateu-300x281.webp 300w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jaume-i-jaume-mateu-768x720.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Jaume I the Conqueror<\/em>, by Jaume Mateu and Gon\u00e7al Peris (1427). Museu Nacional d\u2019Art de Catalunya.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Born in Montpellier in <strong>1208<\/strong>, Jaume I expanded the Crown of Aragon with the conquest of Majorca and the creation of the Kingdom of Valencia. For Gandia, the decisive turning point took place at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/?api=1&amp;query=Castell+de+Bair%C3%A9n+Gandia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Castell de Bair\u00e9n<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"clear:both\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contenidos<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a7e62ae66e49\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #e41725;color:#e41725\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #e41725;color:#e41725\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a7e62ae66e49\"  aria-label=\"Alternar\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/jaume-i-gandia-bairen-medieval-town\/#Bairen_the_hub_of_Andalusi_La_Safor\" >Bair\u00e9n, the hub of Andalusi La Safor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/jaume-i-gandia-bairen-medieval-town\/#A_negotiated_surrender_between_1239_and_1240\" >A negotiated surrender between 1239 and 1240<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/jaume-i-gandia-bairen-medieval-town\/#The_farmland_and_the_waters_of_the_Serpis\" >The farmland and the waters of the Serpis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/jaume-i-gandia-bairen-medieval-town\/#The_Llibre_dels_Fets_a_voice_from_the_13th_century\" >The Llibre dels Fets, a voice from the 13th century<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/jaume-i-gandia-bairen-medieval-town\/#A_historical_landscape_that_can_still_be_explored\" >A historical landscape that can still be explored<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/jaume-i-gandia-bairen-medieval-town\/#Gandia_prepares_for_Any_Jaume_I\" >Gandia prepares for Any Jaume I<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bairen_the_hub_of_Andalusi_La_Safor\"><\/span>Bair\u00e9n, the hub of Andalusi La Safor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before the Christian conquest, Bair\u00e9n was the main defensive and administrative enclave in this part of La Safor. Its position commanded the coast, the marshland, the fertile farmland and the inland routes. At the time, Gandia was a farmstead on the plain dependent on the fortress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized post-inline-photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/entrada-jaume-i-valencia.webp\" alt=\"Triumphal entry of Jaume I into Valencia depicted by Fernando Richart Montesinos\" class=\"wp-image-2797\" style=\"width:360px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/entrada-jaume-i-valencia.webp 900w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/entrada-jaume-i-valencia-300x173.webp 300w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/entrada-jaume-i-valencia-768x444.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Triumphal entry into Valencia of King James the Conqueror (year 1238)<\/em>, Fernando Richart Montesinos (1884). Museo Nacional del Prado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jaume I\u2019s advance towards the south reached the area after the surrender of Valencia. According to the account preserved in the <em>Llibre dels Fets<\/em>, the handover of Bair\u00e9n was the result of negotiations with its Muslim governor, known as <strong>Abecendrell<\/strong>, rather than a direct assault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"clear:both\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_negotiated_surrender_between_1239_and_1240\"><\/span>A negotiated surrender between 1239 and 1240<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Talks began in <strong>1239<\/strong>. The agreement established a seven-month truce, the prior handover of the outer tower and guarantees to ensure compliance with the pact. Once the period had elapsed, Bair\u00e9n and its territory came under the authority of Jaume I in <strong>1240<\/strong>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rutasjaumei.com\/es\/ciudad\/74\/gandia.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jaume I Route in Gandia<\/a> covers the passages from the chronicle related to this episode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;He expressed to Us that he was grateful for our offers; but that, with that castle (Bair\u00e9n) being so fine, We could well understand that it would be a villainy to hand it over straight away. \u2014Well, if you do not wish to hand it over right away, We told him, let us both agree that you will surrender it to Us within a certain period, and give Us in the meantime some guarantee that you will not break your promise. \u2014What guarantee do you require? he replied, \u2014and at such words, We told him that We wanted his eldest son, and also the names of two of his nephews, whom he was to deliver to Us without delay; whereupon he begged Us to grant him time to reflect upon it.&#8221;<br>(<em>Chronicle<\/em>, ch. 308)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the handover, land grants documented in the <em>Llibre del Repartiment<\/em> began. The new settlers established themselves on the agricultural plain, spurring the growth of Gandia and the gradual loss of Bair\u00e9n&#8217;s residential functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_farmland_and_the_waters_of_the_Serpis\"><\/span>The farmland and the waters of the Serpis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The consolidation of the new town depended on something just as important as the land: water. In <strong>1244<\/strong>, <strong>Peregr\u00ed d\u2019Atrossillo<\/strong>, acting on behalf of Jaume I, set down the distribution of water and irrigation channels in the district of Bair\u00e9n and the area around Gandia among the new settlers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This record shows that the conquest was not merely a matter of occupying fortresses. It was also necessary to organise irrigation, distribute plots and adapt a hydraulic network of Andalusi origin to the new political organization. The documentary chronology can be consulted in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uv.es\/departament-historia-medieval-ciencies-historiografiques\/ca\/investigacio\/senyories-historiques-valencianes\/cercador\/gandia-1286380739288\/Feus.html?id=1286384126059\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">historical manors archive of the Universitat de Val\u00e8ncia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Llibre_dels_Fets_a_voice_from_the_13th_century\"><\/span>The <em>Llibre dels Fets<\/em>, a voice from the 13th century<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized post-inline-photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"556\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jaume-i-palma.webp\" alt=\"Full-length portrait of Jaume I preserved in the Ajuntament de Palma\" class=\"wp-image-2798\" style=\"width:250px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jaume-i-palma.webp 250w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jaume-i-palma-135x300.webp 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anonymous portrait of Jaume I, from the late 16th century. Ajuntament de Palma.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much of what is known about the negotiations at Bair\u00e9n comes from the <strong><em>Llibre dels Fets<\/em><\/strong>, the chronicle directly linked to Jaume I. Written in the royal first-person plural, it combines military campaigns, political decisions and personal memories of the monarch. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cervantesvirtual.com\/portales\/jaume_i_el_llibre_dels_fets\/llibre_dels_feyts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes<\/a> allows readers to discover its manuscript tradition and consult material on the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"clear:both\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_historical_landscape_that_can_still_be_explored\"><\/span>A historical landscape that can still be explored<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The link between Jaume I and Gandia remains visible in the region today. The <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/bairen-castle-gandia-history-visits-views\/\">Castell de Bair\u00e9n<\/a> helps to explain the medieval defensive setting; the farmland highlights the importance of the irrigation channels; and the Centre Hist\u00f2ric reflects the subsequent growth of the town on the plain. Exploring these places allows you to experience Gandia as a landscape formed by different historical layers, from its Andalusi heritage to the medieval and ducal city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gandia_prepares_for_Any_Jaume_I\"><\/span>Gandia prepares for Any Jaume I<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To mark the <strong>750th anniversary of the death of Jaume I<\/strong>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gandia.es\/atg\/news\/new.php?id=6187&amp;idioma=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ajuntament de Gandia is preparing Any Jaume I<\/a> together with the Universitat de Val\u00e8ncia and CEIC Alfons el Vell. Activities will begin to take place <strong>from October 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The plans include exhibitions, lectures, concerts, guided and dramatised tours, heritage and literary itineraries, and educational initiatives. The detailed schedule has not yet been published; once dates, venues and times are known, the full programme will be featured in a future post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The medieval history of Gandia is bound to Jaume I the Conqueror and the Castell de Bair\u00e9n. The agreed surrender of this fortress in 1240 marked the start of a new era, as the region\u2019s focal point shifted from the mountains to the fertile plain where the town grew.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"borgia26_language":"en","borgia26_translation_group":"jaume-i-gandia","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,121],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historia","category-ilustres"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3121"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3163,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3121\/revisions\/3163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}