The Philip V Portrait Travels: A Delicate Cultural Exchange Across Cities
A celebrated portrait of Philip V left the Xàtiva Museum of Fine Arts this morning as part of a carefully curated exhibition. The voyage to Almansa forms a centerpiece of regional commemorations tied to a long historic thread: the 315th anniversary of the War of the Spanish Succession, a conflict that reshaped Valencia’s privileges and left a lasting mark on the city’s memory. A minor delay occurred when a mechanical hiccup nudged the journey forward just after 10 a.m., yet the transfer proceeded with a measured handoff to preserve the artwork for its crucial moment in the display.
The piece in transit, Josep Amorós’s 1719 canvas, was wrapped in protective coverings and handled with meticulous care for the roughly 65 kilometers separating Xàtiva from Almansa. By tonight, Albacete’s city authorities will inaugurate the exhibition at 8:00 p.m. under the heading “Philip V: One War, Two Cities.” The show will also include two thumbnail studies by Setabense painter Pepe Samir, works that historically intensified the fires in Xàtiva during Bourbon campaigns.
Philip V’s portrait marks a rare departure from the Valencian center, traveling for the first time since 1980 when it last left the region for an international city exhibition. The decision to move the canvas has roots dating back to the 1940s, when Carlos Sarthou, then director of the Xàtiva museum, chose a symbolic reinterpretation to be unveiled again at a later date. Although plans for a 2020 handover were agreed upon by Almansa and Xàtiva, the global pandemic postponed the exchange.
The choreography of the move was originally planned to occur just before the weekend, but practical logistics kept the team in Xàtiva on Saturday. The town honored the Maulets and staged a transfer ceremony featuring the senyera, the ceremonial flag, as a prelude to autonomous celebrations led by a former regional president. The artwork remains on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts as it travels.
Over the coming weeks, the painting will journey to Almansa and then return to Xàtiva to anchor the commemorations surrounding the siege of Xàtiva, a defining episode of the War of the Spanish Succession that stretched from May 8 to June 6, 1707. A vinyl reproduction of Amorós’s canvas has been added to ensure the exhibition floor is fully utilized and to draw visitors into the Xàtiva museum’s broader storytelling.
During this latest reenactment, Xàtiva’s mayor and regional leadership gathered in Almansa for a ceremony that underscored renewed collaboration and mutual understanding between the two towns. The gathering highlighted a shared commitment to respectfully acknowledge a difficult past while fostering constructive cultural exchange as both communities participate in this historic remembrance.