Fortress of Santa Barbara in Alicante: history and photos

On the Mediterranean coast of Spain, on the top of Benacantil, in Alicante stands a magnificent castle with the beautiful name of Santa Barbara. This is one of the main symbols of the sunny resort town.

The fortress of Santa Barbara (Spain) is a widely visited and popular tourist destination.

Even the most fascinating journey to the castle is fraught with many unexpected and pleasant surprises. A half-hour tour through its territory gives a lot of positive emotions and vivid impressions.

general description

The medieval castle represents a triumph of engineering thought and military architecture. He rises majestically over a beautiful city at an altitude of 166 meters. This is one of the largest fortresses in Spain. The rock itself looks like a face, in connection with which, it is also called the "face of the Moor".

There is a castle of three levels located at different heights, each representing the history of different eras. This magnificent structure is actually in the central part of the city, near the sea shore.

The fortress, built about 10 centuries ago, is very much admired by numerous tourists and townspeople. Thanks to the multi-level design, almost from all points, amazing views of the landscape of the city. And the castle is beautifully viewed from afar and is a wonderful landmark.

The fortress of Santa Barbara in Alicante is amazing and interesting both for its architecture and centuries-old history.

The address is: 03002, Spain, the city of Alicante, Plaza del Cuarter, 1.

Elements of Architecture

The main attractions of the fortress are the following architectural elements: the Armory, the military building, Philip II's hall (the king), the bastion of the queen and the sentry corps. The internal premises correspond to the external appearance of the castle, they are also decorated in the medieval spirit.

To rise into the fortress it is possible on the elevators with entrances, equipped opposite the resort beach of Postiguet. You can climb the elevator for a small fee, but lovers of extreme sensations can stroll up the mountain on a fairly long ladder with bridges.

Ancient history of the castle

Long ago, in the third century BC. E. The Greeks built protective inaccessible fortifications. It was strategically chosen as a very good place for bastions. Thanks to this position of the fortress it was convenient to observe the entrances to the city and to hold power over a large territory.

In honor of St. Barbara, whose festival is celebrated annually in these places in early December, received its name of the fortress of Santa Barbara. Its history is full of numerous events.

One of the most heroic historical moments is the year 1296th. At that time, the commandant of the fortress, Nicholas Paris, defending her from the enemy army of King Jaime II, fighting to the last, immortalized his name. With one hand, drenched with the blood of his enemies, he held the sword, and with the other hand firmly held the key to the fortress. According to legend, his enemies were able to get it, only after cutting off the hand of the commandant-hero only after his death. And now in the highest point of the castle an inscription dedicated to the feat of Nicholas Paris is carved.

About the destruction and reconstruction of the castle

For a long time of its existence the fortress of Santa Barbara changed the owners several times and, accordingly, was reconstructed. In January 1844, during the uprising led by Colonel Pantaleon Bonet, the castle was occupied by them, but, in connection with the betrayal of one of his subordinates, Bonet himself fell into a trap. And as a result, the castle was captured by Espartero people. Straight in the fortress walls were executed all the rebels. At the site of their execution today stands the Memorial dedicated to the Martyrs of Liberty, which is dedicated to the lost associates of Pantaleon Bonet.

The castle was seriously damaged during the war of 1873. He suffered greatly because of his shelling from the Spanish battleship "Numancia", led by rebels from Cartagena.

Castle of the 20th century

In the late 1930s, the fortress of Santa Barbara, during the Spanish Civil War, was used as a prison for captured Republicans. Witnesses of those times are the inscriptions and engravings on the walls left by them. After the end of the war, for some time the fortress was in desolation, and only thanks to the city authorities it turned into a unique monument of historical heritage.

Since 1963, the restoration of this structure began. Two elevators have been built, raising the visitors of the fortress in just one minute to the very top of the mountain (length of the track is 204.83 meters).

Fortress today

Thus, the fortress of Santa Barbara today is perfectly equipped for its convenient examination by numerous visitors.

In addition, here on summer nights there are great concerts and festivals, and picnics are held in the winter. On the territory of the lowest level there are tables and benches.

Inside the castle you can visit educational exhibitions.

From the fortress, after finding a way out, you can go down the so-called Great Wall of China (Spanish) and get into the preserved old quarter called Barrio Santa Cruz. These are narrow streets with white houses, where the voices of children chasing a soccer ball are heard.

Observation areas of the fortress open a delightful panorama, combining an excellent city, a view of the beautiful sea, road forks, the beach, the port and the neighboring towns.

What else can you see in the castle?

The fortress of Santa Barbara in Alicante is a rather complex and imposing structure. It consists, as noted above, of the three levels that arose in different epochs and are monuments of the past times.

The towers and walls represent a traditional knightly architecture. Some parts of the structure (the upper ones) have been preserved since the Arab times.

Today the territory of the fortress is well equipped for the convenience of visiting the museum by tourists. The exhibition halls are equipped with permanent and temporary expositions, the content of which is dedicated to the glorious history of the castle, its changing appearance.

It should be noted the observation platforms of the fortress, which are several. They offer stunning views, especially during the sunset and at night, when the city is transformed by night lights.

On the territory of the fortress there are equipped recreation areas with souvenir tents and a cafe.

How to get to the castle

Anyone has the opportunity to visit the fortress of Santa Barbara in Alicante. The entrance is free.

The easiest way is a high-speed elevator, the entrance to which is located in the center of Mount Benacantil, near the beach of Postiguet. And the rise is quite fast, and the cost for services (only for the rise) is 3 euros. Small children and elderly people can use the elevator for free.

You can also reach the castle by taxi or by car along the highway. For transport at the lower level of the castle there is free parking.

For lovers of romantic travel, there is a more interesting way of climbing, on foot, which will bring additional pleasures. Thanks to this trip, you can see two more amazing attractions: the Santa Cruz quarter and the park de la Ereta. In the first, as mentioned above, you can see the ancient Moorish buildings of the 13th century, and in an exotic green park you can relax on the benches by the fountain and stroll along the paths.

The most brave and fearless climb straight up the cliff, however it is quite dangerous and forbidden.