Saint Barbara Castle (Alicante)
Located about 167 meters above sea level on the top of Mount Benacantil – which, due to its profile, was known as “the face of the Moor” – is Saint Barbara Castle. It was once an important defensive bastion guarding the city of Alicante from enemies who might approach along the coast.
It is a construction of Arab origin that, according to estimates, dates from the ninth century, but it later fell under Christian rule. In 1248 it was renamed Saint Barbara Castle.
The design of its architecture is made up of three clearly differentiated enclosures. The first is the highest one, known as La Torreta, where its Tower of Homage is located along with some original foundations from the 11th and 13th centuries, as well as dependencies that include the park of engineers and the so-called noble room.
The second enclosure, which is the intermediate one, is the most important because it housed the old Corps of the Troops, the Guard, the Queen’s Bulwark and the immense parade ground.
The third enclosure is the lowest and currently functions as the parking area. There, you can admire a monument to Felix Berenguer de Marquina, an illustrious soldier from Alicante who served as Viceroy of New Spain.
In addition to having immense patrimonial and historical value, Saint Barbara Castle is the headquarters of the Museum of the City of Alicante (MUSA), which houses five permanent and itinerant exhibition halls complemented by a Renaissance-style cistern.
It is a construction of Arab origin that, according to estimates, dates from the ninth century, but it later fell under Christian rule. In 1248 it was renamed Saint Barbara Castle.
The design of its architecture is made up of three clearly differentiated enclosures. The first is the highest one, known as La Torreta, where its Tower of Homage is located along with some original foundations from the 11th and 13th centuries, as well as dependencies that include the park of engineers and the so-called noble room.
The second enclosure, which is the intermediate one, is the most important because it housed the old Corps of the Troops, the Guard, the Queen’s Bulwark and the immense parade ground.
The third enclosure is the lowest and currently functions as the parking area. There, you can admire a monument to Felix Berenguer de Marquina, an illustrious soldier from Alicante who served as Viceroy of New Spain.
In addition to having immense patrimonial and historical value, Saint Barbara Castle is the headquarters of the Museum of the City of Alicante (MUSA), which houses five permanent and itinerant exhibition halls complemented by a Renaissance-style cistern.
Location
What to see in Alicante
