Last night we visited the Castille de Santa Barbara here in Alicante. It is the dominate feature on the hill above Alicante. It is easy to see why it was built here, and incredibly impressive that it could actually be constructed!!
On 4 December 1248, the castle was captured by Castilian forces led by Alfonso of Castile. It was named after Saint Barbara, on whose feast day the castle was captured. It was conquered by the Aragonese in 1296 during the reign of James II of Aragon, who ordered its reconstruction. Peter IV of Aragon, Charles I of Spain and Philip II of Spain would oversee further reconstructions.
Castle of Santa Bárbara in the 19th century. Photo by Jean Lauren (1816-1886).
The castle was bombarded in 1691 by a French squadron. During the War of Spanish Succession, it was held by the English for three years. In 1873, it was bombarded, along with the city, by the cantonalistas from the frigate Numancia.[1]
From the 18th century the military role of the castle has declined and it was used sometimes as a prison.[1] The castle remained abandoned until 1963, when it was opened to the public. Lifts have been installed inside the mountain.
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