Forna: Heritage and Routes

Forna brings together grand architecture, local building history, and routes with named landscape views. Castillo de Forna, Església de Sant Bernat Abat, and Casa Badia represent different chapters in the town’s history; the routes add specific destinations in the surrounding area. If you are planning a trip, these can help you decide whether you are most interested in historic buildings, the history of individual houses, or landscape views. These topics can be considered as different focuses for a trip to Forna.

The Castle and Building History

Castillo de Forna is a grand residence built in the late 15th or early 16th century in the Valencian style of civil Gothic. The dating deliberately leaves two possibilities open. The architectural classification also provides a specific point of reference: civil Gothic refers to secular architecture, distinguishing the castle in function from a religious building such as the town’s church.

The castle contains one of the finest collections of graffiti or inscriptions in the surrounding area. The graffiti are believed to have been made by the craftsmen who built the building. This presumed authorship is part of the story behind this detail, not a confirmed attribution. If you are interested in building history, you can look beyond the grand architecture to the surviving traces on the building itself.

The Church and Casa Badia

Església de Sant Bernat Abat dates from approximately the 16th century. It preserves parts of its original decorative paintings and stonework, as well as the bell gable. Taken together, the approximate date and the surviving architectural elements offer different points of interest: the paintings, stonework, and bell gable are specific features of the church that you can distinguish when looking at the building.

Another chapter in the town’s history is associated with Casa Badia. It is one of Forna’s most representative buildings and is especially valued by local residents. During the 1932–1933 school year, it housed Forna’s mixed-gender one-room school. The building is therefore connected both with its importance in the town and with a precisely documented historical use. A focus on Forna’s history can thus include not only religious and grand buildings, but also the story of a house and its former function.

Town Route and Landscape Views

A tourism announcement published on January 13, 2025, introduced a new urban route through Forna. It was designed for all visitor groups and led to six points in the town. If you plan to follow this town route, check the current route before your visit, as its layout may change over time.

Two named routes with landscape views are distinct from this town route. The Forna–Vilallonga route begins in Forna’s square and offers views of the mountains of the Marina, the Revoltes d'Orba, La Llacuna, and Mount Xillibre. The Forna–El Carritxar–l'Atzúbia route offers panoramic views of the Marjal Pego-Oliva Natural Park and the eastern slopes of the Mostalla and Segària mountain ranges. The first route brings together several named mountains and landscape locations in its views; the second focuses specifically on a natural park and the eastern slopes of two mountain ranges.

The washhouse is another specific landmark in Forna. It is below the level of the square and can be reached by a staircase. Take the stairs into account when planning your visit. The local attractions therefore cover distinct themes: building history and surviving details sit alongside local history, a washhouse reached by stairs, and routes whose views highlight different landscape features.

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For the regional travel overview: Alicante.