Santa Bárbara Castle in Alicante

The special Santa Bárbara Castle, high above Alicante on the Costa Blanca in Spain, offers an amazing view towards the city. It also has a rich history. 

History

On the slopes of the mountain, Bronze Age, Iberian and Roman artifacts have been found however the origins of the castle goes back to the 9th. century  during the Muslim control of the Iberian Peninsula. 

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 recaptured from the Arabs. 

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.

The castle was bombarded in 1691 by a French squadron. During the War of the Spanish Succession, it was held by the British for three years. In 1873, it was bombarded, along with the city, by the cantonalistas from the frigate Numancia. From the 18th century the military role of the castle has declined and it was used sometimes as a prison.

From April 1939, with the end of the Spanish Civil War, it was used as a Francoist concentration camp for Republican prisoners until the end of that year. The castle remained abandoned until 1963, when it was opened to the public. 

Inside the Santa Bárbara Castle you'll see an history tour of the special place. All important dates are marked and shown by pictures. 

Nowadays

Lifts have been installed inside the mountain (€2.70 charge in October 2018 but free for adults aged 65
on production of ID). There are some guided tours at €3 per person and there are refreshments and other amenities at and near the summit.

A visit

We visited the castle in October 2022, though the weather wasn't that nice we enjoyed the spectacular views towards Alicante. 

Own pictures taken in October 2022