El Castell — Colegio Mayor San Juan de Ribera
A castle-palace of medieval origin (15th century) that Archbishop Saint Juan de Ribera acquired around 1600 and turned into a manor-palace after taking the lordship of Burjassot. With its silhouette of crenellations and loophole balconies, it has housed a university residential college since 1916. On open-house days it offers free guided tours of the castle and its parkland, with prior registration.
Around 1600, after taking the lordship of Burjassot, Archbishop Saint Juan de Ribera bought a 15th-century castle-palace and turned it into his manor home. That building, known simply as El Castell, still rises with its battlements over the centre of Burjassot.
What to see
The line of crenellations and loophole balconies gives away its defensive past, but since 1916 the building has housed a university residential college, the San Juan de Ribera. It is a castle still lived in and in daily use, not a ruin, which sets it apart from other Valencian fortresses.
How to visit
Access inside is limited, but on open-house days there are free guided tours of the castle and its parkland, with advance registration. That parkland is today the Jardí de la Devesa del Castell, the historic garden wrapped around the building.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit El Castell in Burjassot?
Interior access is limited because it houses a residential college, but on open days there are free guided tours of the castle and its parkland, with prior registration.
What is El Castell in Burjassot today?
It is a medieval castle-palace (15th century) that since 1916 has housed the San Juan de Ribera university college, so it is a lived-in, working castle rather than a ruin.
Who turned El Castell into a palace?
Around 1600, after acquiring the lordship of Burjassot, Archbishop Saint John of Ribera bought the 15th-century castle and transformed it into his residence-palace.
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