This tower is one of the few testimonies that have survived from the medieval walls built around La Vila, or first enclosure of Medieval Alcoi. Its construction was carried out throughout the second half of the 13th century. The tower’s basement, its entrance door and its four corners, made of blocks of stone are worth mentioning. The tapial (mould of two parallel panels used to build walls) was used in its construction. The tower was restored in 2002. Its strategic location guarantees a superb overview of the river Riquer and the area of the Tints.
The windmills of “Les Planes” district have ruled this scenic viewpoint since the first Building in the 14th Century. Years later, it was followed by another ten towers, whose ruins, currently without blades or roof, can still be observed in this exceptional corner of the coast although in different conservation levels. The windmills had to withstand the impact of the intense “llebeig", the warm southwest wind which blows in a practically steady basis in the Trencall de la Plana area. Today no longer in use, the windmills have sturdy mechanisms made of Kermes Oak wood which served to move the heavy circular millstones.
The Granadella area is located in the westernmost zone of Xàbia and has its own private history with the construction of the Granadella Castle, a small fortification built in the 18th Century, with an exterior wall face lined with “tosca” sandstone which was occupied by a small garrison of three men and two bronze cannons.
This house, built in 1873, was commissioned by industrialist Rigoberto Albors Monllor, who donated to the town what today is the Square of Pintor Gisbert. The construction of this house coincides with the beginning of "El Petrolio", a famous uprising by workers aiming at an improvement of their wages and working conditions, which unfortunately ended up tragically. In Classicist and Eclectic style, this is a three-storey building with a basement and an attic. Of special interest are the big balcony, with a stone balustrade, and the prominent cornice, with a balustrade and a clock.
The Christian foundation of the Villa of Alcoi took place in 1256, and in 1305 its first urban expansion was started. This newly developed urban site was called in the 14th century Pobla Nova of Sant Jordi or Vilanova of Alcoi. The old quarter of Alcoi was protected by a wall and several towers, of which the Tower of l'Andana (in the Plaçeta de les Xiques), the Tower of N'Aiça and the Tower-Gate of the Riquer have survived. The latter was also the door of entrance into the town from the old road of Castilla or Madrid. At the beginning of the 18th century, during the War of Spanish Succession, a bastion was built next to the Tower of N'Aiça. Some years later, all these towers were adapted for housing and a wider door was opened on the wall of the Puríssima road to allow the access to carriages from Saint Roc road. This new door received the name of Arc de Sant Roc.
This extensive space, made from concrete and granite, was created between 1992 and 1995 by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, and was designed to simulate the skeleton of a huge animal. It was inaugurated in 1997 and has hosted a number of cultural and social activities. The main vault of this subterranean hall, finished in an immaculate white, is supported by a series of parabolic arches, a typical feature of Calatrava’s work. The hall is accessed from Plaça d’Espanya, the main square of Alcoi, via a system of hydraulic doors which open onto two stairways, which when closed are disguised by barred trapdoors. Once inside the hall, at the main entrance the visitor finds himself at the tail of the animal, while at the opposite end there is the head. It is worth highlighting the wonderful natural light that illuminates the hall through the ceiling, along with the fact that it follows the contours of Plaça d’Espanya, including the slight slope of this Town Square.
This building was built in 1881 to be the central office of the Banca Vicens, and currently houses the Alcoi Chamber of Commerce. The building has a façade of stone blocks, with detailed cast iron balconies. The figure of Mercury found above the main entrance symbolizes commerce. The ground floor, which today is used for offices, was originally used to house the stables and coaches, as well as the coal for the heating system. Opening hours from Monday to Friday 8:30 to 15:00 h. Closed: festivity days.
This building is in Academicist style. It was designed by architect Jorge Gisbert Berenguer and was built between 1846 and 1863, on the space where the Monastery of Saint Augustine was. In the main stairs and in different rooms we can admire an exhibition of paintings and sculptures made by local artists, amongst which there are remarkable works by Fernando Cabrera Cantó, Ramón Castañer, Adolfo Durá, Plácido Francés, Edmundo Jordá, Antoni Miró, Emilio Sala and other different contemporary authors. Opening hours: from Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 20:00 h. Friday from 8:00 to 15:00 h. August from 8:00 to 15:00 h. Closed: festivity days.
This building dates back to the 17th century (1620). The building served as the Town Hall and the Lonja de Contratación (trade marketplace). Its harmonious, simple façade is hewn from tosca stone. The ground floor has three half-pointed arches on the main façade and one on each side façade, forming an open porch. There are two windows on the first floor and a balcony over the impost that runs around the façade. It has a sundial dated 1639 and a back door that gives onto San José with a dintel decorated with a small curtain arch. Next door is the house of Constanza the sister of St Vicente Ferrer, Teulada's patron saint. The square where it stands, plaça de Els Portxes, has a plaque which commemorates the date when the municipal area gained its independence from Benissa and Calpe (1386).
This stands on the highest point of the Cap d'Or Peninsula, one of the most spectacular spots on the coast, affording a magnificent view over the horizon. It was built at the end of the 16th century as a coastal fortress, along with the other watchtowers along Valencia's coastline. These were in contact with each other to warn of possible pirate attacks. It is seven metres in diameter and eleven metres high. Half of the interior is solid stone. Nowadays the entrance has been sealed but this once led to a terrace which was reached by a rope latter. There were two cannons, which were discovered on the Portet beach in 1980. There is an archaeological site on the south-eastern side of Cap d'Or dating to Upper Palaeolithic times.
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