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SPAIN | Valencia, Spain Travel Guide
Sunday, May 12, 2024
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Alicante
Alicante
Alicante, the capital of the so-named province and second-largest city in the Valencia region, is a seaside port town dating to the fourth century BC when the Iberians founded the city of Tossal de Manises. In the eighth century the Moors took control and built their fortress, El Castillo de Santa Bárbara, on the summit of Mount Benacantil overlooking the city. Rebuilt during the reign of Felipe II, it consists of several terraced levels corresponding to the contours of the rise. At the top are the remains of the medieval castle and prime views over the city, while below are the walls and towers of la Torreta. There is an interesting open-air display of twisted dark sculptures within the castle, the works of a handful of prominent Spanish artists such as Dalí, Serrano and Macho.
Action in town centers on the Explenada de España, a waterfront promenade lined with palm trees that separates the port and beach of El Postiguet from the town. The oldest quarter of the city, known simply as the Barrio, is gray with pockets of colorful architecture and winding, narrow streets at the foot of Benacantil hill. Within, the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is crowded with revelers on weekend nights. On the bottom step leading up to the 18th-century town hall is an engraved disc, at a height of 3.4 m (11 feet) above sea level, marking the point from which all altitudes in Spain are measured. This point was chosen because the tide rarely fluctuates in Alicante.
The 17th-century Renaissance Catedral de San Nicolás was designed by students of renowned Spanish architect Juan de Herrera in an unadorned style. It is an old sight, but far from spectacular. Next to the Iglesia de Santa Maria, a Gothic construct raised on the site of an Arab mosque in the 14th century, is the Casa de La Asegurada, a former granary that now houses a valuable private collection of 20th-century artwork. Contributors include Eusebio Sempere, who owns the collection, as well as Picasso, Dalí, Chillida and Miró.
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