Historical Places for Alicante Spain

Castle of Santa Barbara was built on Mt. Benacantil, overlooking Alicante City. The best way to reach this 686ft high mountain is to take the lift from Paseo de Gomiz. The panoramic view of Alicante town, the coast, the huerta and the hills to north are sure to leave you mesmerized
Basilica of Santa Maria built in the 14th-16th century, is an exemplary sample of Gothic style of architecture over the remains of a Mosque. You could also witness the Rococo style in the altar and the Baroque style on the Portal.

Co-cathedral of St. Nicholas of Bari also built over a mosque, is dedicated to the town's patron saint. Concatedral de San Nicolas de Bari , the main church of Alicante, originates from the17th Century.

Monastery of Santa Faz located 5 km outside the city. The architecture is of the Baroque style and dates back to the 15th century. Santa Faz literally means ‘The Holy face'. The importance of this monastery lies in the fact that a piece of a veil that is said to belong to a lady of Jesus Christ's time, named Veronica lies here. This piece of veil is said to have been used by Veronica to wipe the blood off the face of Jesus as he carried the cross through the streets of Jerusalem. The outline of the face of Jesus can be seen on this veil. Every year after Easter, a procession is taken out for 8 kms in Alicante from the Town hall to the Monastery of Santa Faz. Traditional Anise rolls and Fondellon ( a traditional wine) are the only refreshments available to all who participate in this long slow walk. There are a couple of incidents pertaining to this Veil and monastery, that have made this Romerio style pilgrimage to thank Lord Jesus for his greatness, so important for the natives of Alicante. In 1489, the people of Alicante took out this pilgrimage for the first time to pray to Jesus to relive them of the severe drought conditions prevalent then. It is said that a tear appeared on the image of Jesus, because of the prayers offered by the people and at the monastery. It was only a few days after this incident that the rains set in .the pilgrims wear the traditional farmer clothes of black, blue and white trims and carry canes.

Defence towers of the Huerta de Alicante (15th-18th centuries), built to defend against the Barbary pirates. Today some 20 towers are still extant.
Baroque Casa de La Asegurada dated to the sixteenth century is the most ancient civil building in the city. It is home to the Museum of Contemporary Art of Alicante and archeological remains from the Bronze age of Iberian and Roman rule.
Gravina Palace, nowadays hosts the Gravina Museum of Fine Arts (MUBAG).On exhibition in the museum here are painting and sculptures of Alicante from 16th century to 19th century. In the 18th century the Count of Luminares and his family lived in this palace which is a splendid sight for it's architectural marvel and the impressive 500 works by major artists of the 16th to the 20th century. To add context for the viewer or visitor it has been arranged chronologically. This makes this museum not only interesting but also easier to comprehend, even for the lay man. Casa consistorial de Alicante and convent of the Canonigas de San Agustin, both were built in the 18th century. Here too you can see the architectural wonders of the Baroque style.

Castle of San Fernando is located on a low hill caled Tossal. This castle was built in the beginning of the 19th century.

Explanada De Espana is a promenade made of Marble stones and one of the most lovely promenades of Spain which hosts many concerts from time to time. A monument of the Artist Mark Hersch, is located at the end of the promenade. Mark Hersch, is still a resident of Alicante.

Museums in Alicante

The Archaeological Museum of Alicante(MARQ), presenting artifacts from 100,000 years ago up until 19th century. The archaeological museum won the Europea Museum of the Year award in 2004. It houses interesting collections of the Greek, Roman and Iberian periods. It boasts of a picture gallery and an interesting coin collection.

At the Santa Barbara Castle is Museo de les Fogueres , where you can see the paper mache effigies , which were saved from the flames of the Fogueres festival. This festival is celebrated in June and ends on the 24th of June.

The Town Hall ( Ayuntamiento in the local language) is of major historical relevance to not only Alicante but also Spain. Built in between the 16th and 17th century, the facade is the ‘zero point'. The reference to which is used to measure all heights above sea level in Spain. The Blue room (Salon Azul) is a sight worth seeing.

Cueva de Canalobre - Sierra de Cabeza de Oro On these caves are located a large sloping hall with stalactites and stalagmites. These are highlighted with coloured lights, music, performances by folk artistes and concerts.

Festivals:
Bonfires of St. John, is the most imp festival and takes place in the summer solstice. A week later, one can enjoy the splendid display of fireworks on the beach of Playa del Postiguet, for a whole week. The spectacularly illuminated sky is a treat , perfect for the entire family on vacation. A two month long
festival of music, theatre and dance is organized in Paseo del Puerto during summer.

The following is a guide to the Alicante region where Last Minute Car Hire provides car rental services.
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