Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

Though today a popular and modern resort, Denia, located on the Costa Blanca, Spain has a long and turbulent history. Thought to be named after the Roman temple of Diana, remnants of which were unearthed near the town, Denia is overlooked by its 16^th century castle, built on an earlier 11^th century Moorish fortress. These days the castle serves a more peaceful purpose and acts as the Archaeological Museum for the town, well worth a visit in order to delve deeper into the area’s history. Denia is also a busy port and for centuries survived by its fishing industry, there are still parts of its old fishing quarter, and wandering its narrow streets and alleys, whisks one back to simpler times. Settled over the centuries by Greeks, Romans and Moors, it was the Moors who built the first castle and held on to the town from the 8^th to the 13^th century. Taken back by the Christians in 1244, Denia became a marquisate in the 15^th century, it joined the losing side in the War of Succession, which resulted in great hardship for the town. A thriving grape and raisin industry developed during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries brought wealth and prosperity to Denia once more, though this was ruined by an outbreak of Phylloxera, which destroyed this industry and caused the decline of the town once again. Only the arrival of tourism during the 20^th century allowed Denia to once again become prosperous. Denia Map.