A home from home is what ALICANTE VILLAS are: on the coast of the Costa Blanca, Alicante is supported by its newly renovated airport and one of the largest ports on the Mediterranean coast. It is a tourist city by the sea overlooked by the fortress Santa Barbara and the second important city in the region of Valencia with a large population of more than 340,000 people. In the height of summer that number increases up to tenfold with the amount of tourists that visit year after year. Alicante plays a big part in the Costa Blanca, not only as the primary port of call for holiday makers as it is just as important in Spain's tourism as a whole.
The origins of Alicante's history start from the earliest Greek and Phoenician people searching for safe and strategic places for trading by the sea. From a distance Mount Benacantil attracted both civilisations and for many years it was quiet and peaceful until the Punic wars. General Hannibal, famous for driving his elephants over the Alps, is believed to have landed them at this port at the start of the second Punic Wars.
It was the Romans who came afterwards and built a fort at the top of the mountain, remains of which can still be seen today and often are being excavated on a regular basis. When the Moors arrived though they mainly left the city alone, using it as a cemetery while basing their centre nearby in the more picturesque of Elche.
After the Moors left, one hundred years passed before anyone moved back. At that point it was mostly fishing settlements around the base of the mountain. King Alfonso conquered the region in 1246 and it was years later when, in 1308, King James I amalgamated Alicante into the Kingdom of Valencia. It was eventually awarded city status by King Ferdinand, the Catholic King in 1490.
One hundred years after Alicante became a natural port for the kingdom of Castilla, it became the place of call for sailors and tradesmen on the Mediterranean Sea and Alicante developed into the third biggest trading town in Spain. Apart from the English invading the Castle, it was only ever attacked by the French in 1691. For a whole week, ships off the coast from the French Armada bombarded the city and the battlements. The British still invade Alicante every year for their ALICANTE VILLAS [http://www.akilar.com/spain-rentals/costa-blanca-alicante/alicante] and now the city has three languages: Spanish, Catalan and English.
The origins of Alicante's history start from the earliest Greek and Phoenician people searching for safe and strategic places for trading by the sea. From a distance Mount Benacantil attracted both civilisations and for many years it was quiet and peaceful until the Punic wars. General Hannibal, famous for driving his elephants over the Alps, is believed to have landed them at this port at the start of the second Punic Wars.
It was the Romans who came afterwards and built a fort at the top of the mountain, remains of which can still be seen today and often are being excavated on a regular basis. When the Moors arrived though they mainly left the city alone, using it as a cemetery while basing their centre nearby in the more picturesque of Elche.
After the Moors left, one hundred years passed before anyone moved back. At that point it was mostly fishing settlements around the base of the mountain. King Alfonso conquered the region in 1246 and it was years later when, in 1308, King James I amalgamated Alicante into the Kingdom of Valencia. It was eventually awarded city status by King Ferdinand, the Catholic King in 1490.
One hundred years after Alicante became a natural port for the kingdom of Castilla, it became the place of call for sailors and tradesmen on the Mediterranean Sea and Alicante developed into the third biggest trading town in Spain. Apart from the English invading the Castle, it was only ever attacked by the French in 1691. For a whole week, ships off the coast from the French Armada bombarded the city and the battlements. The British still invade Alicante every year for their ALICANTE VILLAS [http://www.akilar.com/spain-rentals/costa-blanca-alicante/alicante] and now the city has three languages: Spanish, Catalan and English.
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