Preserved Culture at Orihuela

Author: allenmarvins | Posted: 13.07.2012

Orihuela was considered a kingdom’s capital in its days of glory. It is located 57 kilometers south-west of Alicante on Segura River. One can reach Orihuela by road or air with the modern facilities available.

Through road access, one can view the delightful coast all the way between Torrevieja and Santa Pola. There is about 16 kilometers of beautiful fine sandy beaches along the Orihuela Coast with a pleasant climate throughout the year.

Landscape

Orihuela has diverse landscape with a strong domination by Segura River with lots of rich orange, olive and almond groves in the countryside with an abundance of cotton fields. The northern town section displays thousands of palm trees in many of its parks which may be of a Muslim origin with a half moon formation. The strong Muslim influence is most evident in the region’s agricultural development with the current irrigation systems where corn is abundant.

There are nearby hills like Hurchillo where one can enjoy magnificent panoramic views of the natural landscape. A lot of concerted effort has been placed in maintaining the harmony between nature and the modern environment.

The delightful beaches at Orihuela alternate with the majestic cliffs that frame the crystal clear Mediterranean waters and vegetation.

There is a myriad of private homes and holiday villas as well as luxury resorts during the crowded summer season along with a plethora of water sports that use nautical clubs’ services and golf facilities.

History

Orihuela is famous for its great cultural heritage preservation which is only second to Valencia. This ancient town was founded by the Carthaginians who first called it Orcelis before it became the Visigoth province’s capital of Aurariola as well as the capital of Tudmir Kingdom in the 8th century. Later, Orihuela was under the control of the Emirate of Cordoba as well as Valencia, Denia and Murcia ancient kingdoms.

Hence, one can enjoy the colorful cultural influences of Orihuela today through its many ancient monuments of various origins such as the 1000-year-old Cathedral in place of an ancient mosque. The Gothic church was later remodeled to a 16th century Baroque style.

There are many sacral buildings in Orihuela which have preserved much of its past culture such as ancient monasteries, palaces and churches. These have well preserved structures and gardens with impressive façades and interiors.

Museums

Much of Orihuela’s rich culture can be viewed also in its museums. There are the ethnology museum, the Re-Conquista museum, the Sacral Art museum and the Semana Santa museum to discover more of Orihuela’s history, culture and long traditions.

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