Guide turistiche

Elx or Elche (in Spanish) is a city located in the comarca of Baix Vinalopó, in the Alicante province which, in turn, is a part of the Valencian Community, Spain.

Part of the municipality is coastal but the main city is some 15 km (9.5 miles) from the Mediterranean Sea. According to the 2006 census, Elx has a population of approximately 220,000 inhabitants (called i?licitans in Valencian and ilicitanos in Spanish), ranking as the third most populated city in the Valencian Community and the second within the Alicante province. A small creek called Vinalopó flows through the city splitting it in two parts.


History


La Alcudia site, which lies a mere 10 km from the current city's location is the immediate antecessor of current day Elx. This original location was settled by the Iberians and was later on occupied by Carthaginians and Romans, which called the city Ilici and granted it with the status of colonia; after a brief Byzantine rule, the Goths took over, establishing an episcopal see.

Elx lost importance during the period of Moorish occupation, when it was moved slighty north to its present location. James II of Aragon took the city from the Moors by the end of the 13th century, during the period known as Reconquista. The city grew throughout the 18th century; but this growth became more important during the 19th century with the arrival of the railway and a booming industrial development of what used to be the traditional footwear industry.

A vast amount of archeological remains have been found in Elche, with the stone bust of the Lady of Elx (Dama d'Elx) being the most important find. It is supposed to date from the Iberian period, in the 4th century BC. The original can be found in the National.


Main sights


This short section requires expansion.

- Elx Palm Grove (better known as Palmerar d'Elx, in Valencian). It is an orchard of over 200,000 palm trees that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
- Altamira Palace, also known as Alcázar de la Señoría, located next to the Municipal Park (which, in turn, is a part of the Elx Palm Grove) It was originally built in Almohad times (12th-13th centuries), and was later renovated with brick exterior in the 15th century. A former fortress, in 1913 it became a fabric plant, it has also been used as the town hall and as a prison during the Spanish Civil War, while today is home to the Archaeological Museum Alejandro Ramos.
- Baños Arabes (Arabic Baths), which re-uses old Roman baths.
- Basilica of Santa Maria
- Calahorra tower, of rectangular plan and Rabic origin, it represent the last relic of the old city walls.
- Municipio
- Convento de la Merced.
- Huerto del Cura
- Museu Paleontologic d'Elx (Palaeontological Museum)

The Mystery Play of Elx (better known as Misteri d'Elx, in Valencian) is a sacral-lyrical medieval drama, dated from the 15th century, which was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2002.