Alicante SpainPractical Information on Alicante Spain Tourism.
There is also evidence of the existence of the Roman city, Lucentum. The first Muslim city was founded at the foot of El Benacantil for defensive reasons. Alicante became a port of call for provisions, and it developed a thriving commerce. In 1244 the Almizra Treaty settled the frontiers between Castile and Aragón and Alicante was included in the Castilian territories. Three years later, in 1247, after the city was conquered by Alfonse X, the "Vila Nova" was built as a counter to the Muslim "Vila Vella". In 1296 James II definitively incorporated the town of Alicante into the Kingdom of Valencia. Two centuries later, in 1490, Ferdinand II 'the Catholic' granted city status to the borough of Alicante. In the 16th Century, Alicante's population increased dramatically due to the growth in trade, the export of handcrafts, and a thriving local agriculture. During this period, construction work began on two quarters outside the city walls, the maritime quarter of San Francisco and the inland San Antón quarter. Between 1510 and 1609, the city's population doubled. In the 17th and 18th Centuries, the port was the economic motor that drove urban transformations. It was given licence to trade with the Americas and a Sea and Land Council was created to promote navigation and agriculture. In 1797, Alicante's population stood at twenty thousand inhabitants. The 19th Century saw the demolition of the city walls, the creation of new districts and the arrival of the railway. In the 20th Century the intensification of secondary and tertiary activities, Alicante's consolidation as a service centre and the development of tourist industry gave the city its present aspect. (Text from www.alicante.es) |
