One of the popular coastal resorts in the region of Benidorm on the Costa Blanca, Spain, Albir was in ancient times a small fortified village known as L’Alfas de Polop, the name being taken from the Arabic ‘sown land’. It grew as an agricultural town, productive in olives, almonds and grapes, irrigation methods developed by the Moors made it a productive area, it also had a small mining industry. Refortified after the Christian reconquest, in order to defend it from attacks by Berber pirates, Albir (also known as Alfaz del Pi) continued as an agricultural town right into the 20th century, when a developing tourist industry changed the complexion of the town. Albir has a number of attractions including its fine beach Albir Playa, which has blue flag status for cleanliness, every July Albir holds a film festival which attracts thousands of visitors to the town. The town has also become a popular area for relocation and many holiday homes have been purchased in the area by non-spanish residents, some settling in the area, of the 17,000 inhabitants some 9,000 are of foreign nationality, the largest percentage being Norwegian. Sheltered by the Sierra Helada the town, beach and promenade enjoy a wonderful climate, perfect for holidays all year round. Albir Map.
August 13, 2009
July 28, 2009
The Spanish Town of Yecla
The town of Yecla lies on the borders of the provinces of Murcia, Alicante and Albacete amidst mountainous countryside, in south-eastern Spain. The town and municipality with its population of around 30,000 is actually within the Comunidad de Murcia and is a modern industrial town but with a long and interesting history, much of the old town still remains. While there is evidence that there may have been settlements in and around Yecla as long ago as the Upper Palaeolithic Era (30,000 BC) the main human activity appears to have begun during the Bronze Age, probably around the 2nd to 3rd Centuries BC. These early settlers were followed by the ancient Iberians and a little later by the Romans who introduced grape growing and wine production to the area and established the first civilised society. Little else is known of the history of the town until the Arab occupation when a defensive fortress was built (probably during the 11th Century) and the town took on its name ‘Yakka’. The Arabs remained until the Christian re-conquest in the 13th Century when Alfonso the Wise took control of the town in 1243, after which it came under the control of the Marquisate of Villena. The population of the town grew steadily up until the mid-fifteenth Century, when there appears to have been increased urban development in the town and something of a population explosion during the 16th Century. This was followed by a period of decline during the 17th Century when constant wars, epidemics and emigration led to a decline in both the economy and population of the town. Recovery began in the 18th Century and continued in the 19th Century when grape growing and wine production were further developed by French wine merchants following an outbreak of Phylloxera in France. Besides grape growing Yecla is well known for the production of furniture and this has become important for the economy of the town, where you will find numerous factories and furniture outlets. There are some interesting places to visit in Yecla and a good place to start would be the Plaza Mayor where you will find the Town Hall and Tower Prison (Torre de la Cárcel – 16th-18th C), the Palacio de los Alarcos (16th Century), the Clock Tower (17th Century) and the Guildhall (19th Century). Other places to visit include the ruined 11th Century castle, the Arciprestal Basilica (built between 1775 and 1868), the Francisan Church of San Francisco from the 16th Century and the Church of the Assumption also from the 16th Century, there are also a number of museums and other churches to see. Yecla celebrates a number of fiestas and festivals including the San Blas in February, the Romeria de San Marcos in April, the Fiesta de los Judas in May and the Feria de Septiembre in September coinciding with the Feast of St. Martin. Yecla holds its weekly market on Wednesdays and also hold a large Furniture Fair in September. Yecla is located on the N-344 west of Villena.
Learn even more about Yecla here: http://www.needahandspanishproperties.com/yecla.html