History of Alicante, Alicante
- Did you know? Alicante's name is a remnant from the Moorish period. It's Arabic for The City of Light
With Monte Benacantil offering protection and a panoramic perch over the Mediterranean and the surrounding coast, it should come as little surprise that human habitation in the area dates back over 7000 years. The first substantial settlement was the Iberian fortified city of Tossal de Manises, which would rose to prominence around the 5th century BC. It was soon enveloped by the Romans, who dominated the picture until the 5th century AD. It's still possible to visit the ruins of the Roman city, Lucentum, today.
In 713 AD Lucentum was conquered by the Moors and the area of Alicante became part of the great estate of Al-Andalus. The Moors established new ties with the vast Islamic Empire of that period. The Muslim reign lasted until the 13th century when King Jaime I recaptured the city and made it part of his newly created Kingdom of Valencia. The 15th and 16th centuries saw Alicantino society grow to its maximum strength, thanks to a booming economy based on trade and agriculture. Unfortunately, many of the fine civil buildings and churches from this era were decimated by the French Armada in 1691 who bombed Alicante for seven straight days. Alicante faired no better when British vessels bombarded the city during the early 18th century War of Spanish Succession.
The 19th century witnessed the creation of new city districts and the demolition of traditional city walls. The arrival of the railway in 1858 truly signalled Alicante’s rebirth as strong coastal port.
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