Daytrip to Denia

The Margravina and I had a trip to Spain recently and on her birthday she wanted to go to the town of Denia (in the Province of Alicante, just south of the border of the Province of Valencia). Where specifically do you want to go to says I, it's your day darling*. Let's start with the castle says she. OK, anything for you my love. Well it was more like a treat for me.

* a word I don't think I've ever used except in jest. 

We did have a wander around the town afterwards, but I won't bore you with pics. I'll justify the following photo on the grounds it is military history.

View from the town square. The Council Tower in the middle. It's part of the lower wall of the castle.

Before we climbed the hill to the castle we came across this display about air raid shelters dating to the SCW.

And this tunnel through the hill on which the castle stood was one of them.

Detail from the above poster.

I like this type of poster. Would you call it Naive Art?

Inside the castle we went inside the Council Tower and found this exhibition. The Moriscos were descendants of Muslims who had converted to Christianity. Which just goes to show, you cannot fend off a tiger by giving it a scrap of meat. 

Apologies I can't remember who this chap was.

Still in the Council Tower: a display of arms and armour from the period of the Expulsion (1609-14)

Can't not have Morions. There were a few slightly different styles on display.

The business end of a halberd.

Various breast plates (Guardapits) and a backplate.

18th C book on the history of Algiers (Argel).

Plan for the redevelopment of the castle.

Various views from the wall.

Ah ha! We get to the WSS. Memorial to the defenders of "the Valencian laws and privileges", appropriately written in the Valencian language. This region, along with Catalonia, was a stronghold of support for the Habsburg claimant to the Spanish throne. The Bourbons were eventually successful in this, 2nd siege, of the town.

View down on the ravelin 

A reminder that Denia is a port. Above is a ferry arriving from Ibiza.

Montgó which dominates the town.

Inside the above gate, another image of the Expulsion of the Moriscos. Apparently the process was carried out most thoroughly in the Kingdom of Valencia and it led to the depopulation of much of the countryside and economic collapse of agriculture. This probably didn't help the tax base of Spain when hostilities with the rebellious Dutch recommenced in 1621.

Another reference to the siege in 1708. A street named after the breach in the walls. Again in the Valencian language. "Bretxa" is pronounced "Bretcha".

I picked up a pack of playing cards in one of the ubiquitous "Chinese Bazaars" which each town seems to have a number of. You can buy almost anything from these places.

Literally the Clubs suit!

Here's a snapshot history of Denia. https://deniavacation.es/denia-history/