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Borriana is a coastal city in the Plana Baixa whose history goes hand in hand with the orange and the port. It was one of the first strongholds James I took from the Muslims in Valencian lands, and much of its identity was born from that siege.
The municipality holds traces of very different periods: a Neolithic dolmen, the Phoenician site of Vinarragell, Iberian lead tablets from the Orleyl and El Solaig necropolises, and the Roman-era tower-house of Carabona. The Municipal Archaeological Museum gathers pieces from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages.
The Muslim town, the Medina Alhadra, reached its peak around the 9th century and was ringed by a circular wall. Today's urban core starts there.
In 1233 James I conquered the stronghold, a decisive step towards Valencia, and the founding charter is dated to the same year. In the mid-14th century the stonemason Bertomeu Bataller raised the bell tower, and in 1348 Peter IV allowed the town to add a blue stripe and three crowns to its flag.
In 1542 Charles I extended the town's privileges in recognition of its officials' stand against the Germanías rebels. The walls stood whole until the 17th century and were then pulled down so the town could grow.
In 1901 the queen regent, in the name of Alfonso XIII, granted it city status. The economy rested on orange trees and the citrus industry, and the orange boom led to the building of the port, now used mainly for fishing. In the Civil War the bell tower was blown up and later rebuilt.
Text written by Zona Zero TV from public sources; early dates vary between authors. Sources: Burriana (Hispanopedia, basado en Wikipedia, CC BY-SA) · Siege of Burriana (Wikipedia). Checked on 1/11/2026.
