Information About Orihuela & the History of Orihuela in a Nutshell

As far ago as the 2nd half of the 3rd millennium BC there have been human settlements in the region of Orihuela. In the 8th century it extended over the provinces of what are now Alicante and Murcia as an independent capital. At the time it was the capital it was the seat of the dukedom of Teodomiro, a Christian ruler who following the Islamic conquest had an autonomy pact with the Moors. Once Alicante became the regional capital for the Costa Blanca Orihuela lost it's status.

Miguel Hernandez was born in Orihuela, he was shepherd and a radical poet and he died in prison after the Spanish Civil War at just 32 years old; in Calle Miguel Hernandez you can visit the house in which he was born. Other famous men worth mentioning who hail from Orihuela include the painter Joaquín Agrasot (1836 to 1919), the cardinal Despardes (first Apostolic Nuncio) and the archbishop Loaces.

The River Segura which runs along to Guardamar provides the city with it's boundaries and is the source of the rich irrigated land otherwise known as the 'huerta' of the Bajo Segura. These days the river Segura marks the border between the old city and the newer more commercial part of Orihuela which began in 1884 when a railway station linking Orihuela with Murcia was built.

If you enjoy your sightseeing then Orihuela can easily be reached by bus or car whilst you are staying at our Guardamar apartment. Visit Orihuela's Cathedral, museum or perhaps the old convent and university (Colegio de Santo Domingo) maybe even the underground Museo de la Murailla or one of the five national monuments in Orihuela which include 'The temptation of Saint Thomas Aquinas' by Velázquez and the statutes of the Sacred Family by Salzillo, and the 'Diablesa' by Bussy.

There is so much to see in Orihuela so take your time and enjoy your visit. You will find the second largest palm forest of the Alicante region and for all you golfers Orihuela has three golf courses. There is some amazing architecture here that can be traced back to either the late Gothic, the Renaissance or the Baroque periods. The museum at the Cathedral of San Salvador is worth a visit.

You should look around two fantastic churches of Orihuela, one is the Gothic Santas Justa and the other is Santiago (St James). The latter contains the status of the Sacred Family by Salzillo and is the place where the Catholic Monarchs convened a general parliament (Cortes) in 1488 for the purpose of gathering funds to finance a military sortie that would culminate in the seizing of Granada in 1492.