{"id":3261,"date":"2026-08-12T20:22:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/?p=3261"},"modified":"2026-08-12T20:27:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:27:50","slug":"torre-dels-pares-gandia-fortified-farmhouse-history-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/torre-dels-pares-gandia-fortified-farmhouse-history-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"Torre dels Pares in Gandia: the Jesuits&#8217; fortified farmhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the middle of the orange groves, a stone&#8217;s throw from the town centre, the <strong>Torre dels Pares<\/strong> lifts its five storeys above the fields that for centuries supported the old University of <strong>Gandia<\/strong>. It is one of the most unusual and least-known heritage visits in the city.<\/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    width: 100% !important;\n    height: auto !important;\n  }\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fortified farmhouse of the Torre dels Pares stands beside the road linking <strong>Gandia<\/strong> and <strong>Daim\u00fas<\/strong>, very close to the La Vital shopping centre. Listed as a <strong>Bien de Inter\u00e9s Cultural<\/strong> (Spain&#8217;s highest heritage protection), owned by the city council and recovered after a full restoration, it now opens its doors for guided tours. Its history condenses five centuries of life in the huerta: the Borgias, the Jesuits, silk and oranges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"934\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-huerta-naranjos.webp\" alt=\"The fortified farmhouse Torre dels Pares among orange groves, with the Safor mountains behind\" class=\"wp-image-3273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-huerta-naranjos.webp 1400w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-huerta-naranjos-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-huerta-naranjos-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-huerta-naranjos-768x512.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tower and the farmhouse, from the huerta path<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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-6a7e8c1c5a3ce\" 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-6a7e8c1c5a3ce\"  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\/torre-dels-pares-gandia-fortified-farmhouse-history-visit\/#From_the_Balaguers_to_the_Borgias_the_origins_of_the_estate\" >From the Balaguers to the Borgias: the origins of the estate<\/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\/torre-dels-pares-gandia-fortified-farmhouse-history-visit\/#A_seventeenth-century_tower_what_archaeology_has_clarified\" >A seventeenth-century tower: what archaeology has clarified<\/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\/torre-dels-pares-gandia-fortified-farmhouse-history-visit\/#What_to_see_the_tower_the_courtyard_and_the_traces_of_farming\" >What to see: the tower, the courtyard and the traces of farming<\/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\/torre-dels-pares-gandia-fortified-farmhouse-history-visit\/#From_neglect_to_rescue_heritage_listing_and_restoration\" >From neglect to rescue: heritage listing and restoration<\/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\/torre-dels-pares-gandia-fortified-farmhouse-history-visit\/#Practical_visit_when_to_enter_and_how_to_get_there\" >Practical visit: when to enter and how to get there<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_the_Balaguers_to_the_Borgias_the_origins_of_the_estate\"><\/span>From the Balaguers to the Borgias: the origins of the estate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The estate enters the grand narrative of history with a sale: between <strong>1485 and 1486<\/strong>, <strong>Pere Llu\u00eds de Borja<\/strong>, first Duke of Gandia from the celebrated Valencian family, bought the land from the brothers Jaume, Francesc and Miquel Balaguer. The purchase strengthened the duchy&#8217;s control over the most fertile farmland south of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Decades later, <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/who-was-saint-francis-borgia\/\"><strong>Saint Francis Borgia<\/strong><\/a>, fourth Duke of Gandia and later Superior General of the Society of Jesus, handed the property to the Jesuits with a very specific commission: its farm income was to support the city&#8217;s Colegio-Universidad, the <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/old-university-gandia-francis-borgia-legacy\/\">old University of Gandia<\/a>, the first the order opened anywhere in the world. The religious community that ran the land ended up naming the place: the tower of the &#8220;Fathers&#8221;, <strong>Torre dels Pares<\/strong>. In the Society&#8217;s archives it also appears as <strong>Torre dels Colegians<\/strong> and <strong>Torre de San Ignacio<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_seventeenth-century_tower_what_archaeology_has_clarified\"><\/span>A seventeenth-century tower: what archaeology has clarified<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=\"1200\" height=\"1601\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-esquina-sillares.webp\" alt=\"Upper corner of the Torre dels Pares tower, with ashlar quoins and round-arched windows\" class=\"wp-image-3255\" style=\"width:260px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-esquina-sillares.webp 1200w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-esquina-sillares-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-esquina-sillares-768x1025.webp 768w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-esquina-sillares-1151x1536.webp 1151w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The upper body of the tower. Photo: Toni Deusa \u00b7 Ajuntament de Gandia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a long time the tower was credited with medieval origins, Andalusi roots and a supposed fourteenth-century watchtower phase. The most recent archaeological research, published in 2024 after a study of its masonry, points in a different direction: the Jesuits built the tower from scratch from <strong>1605<\/strong> onwards, while laying out the farm buildings around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reason for so much stone was very down to earth: <strong>Barbary piracy<\/strong> battered the Valencian coast, and a prosperous estate two kilometres from the sea needed to protect its harvests, livestock and workers. La Safor was then organised as a watchful landscape, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/bairen-castle-gandia-history-visits-views\/\">Castell de Bair\u00e9n<\/a> overlooking the plain, watchtowers along the shore and fortified farmhouses such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/alqueria-duc-marjal-gandia-history-nature\/\">Alqueria del Duc<\/a> dotted across the marshland. When enemy sails were sighted, warnings travelled along the coastal network as columns of smoke by day and bonfires by night, and country people took shelter behind the walls.<\/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=\"What_to_see_the_tower_the_courtyard_and_the_traces_of_farming\"><\/span>What to see: the tower, the courtyard and the traces of farming<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized post-inline-photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1601\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-desde-el-patio.webp\" alt=\"The tower of the Torre dels Pares seen from the farmhouse's inner courtyard\" class=\"wp-image-3256\" style=\"width:260px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-desde-el-patio.webp 1200w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-desde-el-patio-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-desde-el-patio-768x1025.webp 768w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-desde-el-patio-1151x1536.webp 1151w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tower, from the farmhouse courtyard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tower commands the ensemble: a rectangular plan of <strong>5.50 \u00d7 6.75 metres<\/strong>, <strong>five storeys<\/strong> and a hipped roof of flat tiles. The walls, of rubble masonry bound with lime mortar and reinforced with ashlar quoins, keep arrow slits and openings designed for defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At its feet, the farmhouse follows the classic Valencian layout: a central courtyard surrounded by the living quarters and the working buildings. The estate&#8217;s successive economies left visible marks on the buildings: the vines, olives and mulberry trees of the eighteenth century \u2014 with silk as the star crop \u2014 gave way to the citrus conversion of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which added warehouses and new living space.<\/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=\"From_neglect_to_rescue_heritage_listing_and_restoration\"><\/span>From neglect to rescue: heritage listing and restoration<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=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-alqueria-vista-general.webp\" alt=\"General view of the fortified farmhouse Torre dels Pares with the heritage conservation programme sign\" class=\"wp-image-3257\" style=\"width:320px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-alqueria-vista-general.webp 1200w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-alqueria-vista-general-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-alqueria-vista-general-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-alqueria-vista-general-768x576.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The farmhouse ensemble<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the expulsion of the Society of Jesus decreed by <strong>Charles III<\/strong> in <strong>1767<\/strong>, the estate was seized by the Crown and auctioned, and spent more than two centuries in private hands. The final third of the twentieth century brought the gradual abandonment of the complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recovery came in stages: listing as a <strong>Bien de Inter\u00e9s Cultural<\/strong> on <strong>7 July 2010<\/strong>, purchase by Gandia&#8217;s city council and a structural rehabilitation carried out between <strong>2020 and 2023<\/strong> with an investment of <strong>\u20ac822,000<\/strong>, funded 75 % by the 1.5 % Cultural programme of Spain&#8217;s Ministry of Transport and 25 % by the council itself. The works consolidated floors and roofs and included archaeological digs that now make the building&#8217;s biography easier to read.<\/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=\"Practical_visit_when_to_enter_and_how_to_get_there\"><\/span>Practical visit: when to enter and how to get there<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tower can only be seen on a <strong>guided tour<\/strong>, part of the heritage outreach programme coordinated by the <strong>Museu Arqueol\u00f2gic de Gandia (MAGa)<\/strong>. Days and times change through the year, between the ordinary season and special campaigns such as the <strong>Estiu Arqueol\u00f2gic<\/strong>, so check the current calendar on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xecgandia.com\/espacios-culturales\/torre-dels-pares\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">official XEC Gandia page<\/a> or ask the museum directly on <strong>96 295 95 40<\/strong> or at <strong>difusiomaga@gandia.org<\/strong>. Tickets are inexpensive \u2014 <strong>\u20ac2<\/strong> general and <strong>\u20ac1<\/strong> reduced at the time of writing \u2014 and places are limited, so booking is recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized post-inline-photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-cubierta-huerta.webp\" alt=\"Roofs of the farmhouse and tower of the Torre dels Pares with the orange groves and the Safor mountains behind\" class=\"wp-image-3258\" style=\"width:320px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-cubierta-huerta.webp 1200w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-cubierta-huerta-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-cubierta-huerta-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/torre-dels-pares-cubierta-huerta-768x576.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The huerta, from the farmhouse roofs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting there is easy: the farmhouse stands on the <strong>Cam\u00ed Torre dels Pares<\/strong>, beside the road from Gandia to <strong>Daim\u00fas<\/strong>, about two kilometres from the centre, with a surfaced access road from the roundabout by the La Vital shopping centre (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/?api=1&amp;query=Torre+dels+Pares+Gandia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">see the location<\/a>). It can also be reached on foot or by bicycle along the <strong>Anella Verda<\/strong>, the green ring of paths that links the huerta with landmarks such as the Morabit de Marxuquera, the marshland and the Centre Hist\u00f2ric. Comfortable footwear, water and sun protection complete the kit: the surroundings are still working farmland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Few places sum up Gandia&#8217;s farming history so well: the tower paid for a university&#8217;s teaching, watched the coast for corsairs and stored orange harvests. The visit fills a morning and combines easily with a stroll through the Centre Hist\u00f2ric or with the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"clear:both\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Torre dels Pares, a fortified farmhouse in Gandia&#8217;s huerta, condenses five centuries of history: the Borgia purchase, the tower the Jesuits raised from 1605 to support the old University, and the restoration that now lets you visit it with the MAGa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3252,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"borgia26_language":"en","borgia26_translation_group":"torre-dels-pares","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,13,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historia","category-los-borgia","category-visitas-y-monumentos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3261","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=3261"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3275,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3261\/revisions\/3275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}