The place that surrounds Alicante had been inhabited by the first tribe of the gathers and hunters for around 7000 years who had moved slowly from Central Europe amid 5000 and 3000 BC. The early settlements were built on the slopes of Mount Bernacantil. This is where Castillo de Santa is found today. Phoenician and Greek traders started to establish trading ports in the eastern part of Spain in 1000 BC. This introduced the native tribes to the pottery wheel, iron and the alphabet. War broke out in the 6 century when the arch rivals of Rome and Carthage wanted to take over and control Iberian Peninsula. The general of Carthage built a fort that was used as a settlement known as Akra Leuka in the location where Alicante is.
The Carthaginians managed to conquer a lot of land that was found around the city, but the Romans were too powerful for them and they ruled the place for more than 700 years. Rome declined by the 5th century and their leader was under the control of Theudimer who was the Visigothic warlord. However, neither of the parties put up too much resistance when the Arabs conquered the land. This brought rice, oranges, palms and Moorish architecture and art to the area. Fresh war was started between the crown of Aragon and Kingdom of Castile but after decades of the fighting the kingdom of Valencia enjoyed the golden age in the 15th century that saw it rise to be the main Mediterranean trading station dealing with the export of wine, rice, olive oil, wool and oranges. The kingdom later fell in the 18th century but gained back its position at the end of the 19th century as a result of trade.
Modern history
At the beginning of the 20th century, Alicante became a minor capital and benefited from Spain’s neutrality when the first war happened. This presented endless possibilities in agriculture and industry. There were several wars that broke out later with the Spanish civil war being the highlight of them all on 17th July 1936. Alicante was the first city that was invaded by the Franco troops and this resulted in the government officials running away from the country. The city suffered from several air bombings during the war which lead to the death of very many civilians. That lasted for about 3 years.
The city remained under Franco’s dictatorship for around 20 years which was a very rough time for the whole country. However, the city underwent a major transformation in the 1950s and 1960s as a result of tourism. Large buildings were constructed and hotels were fully booked due to the number of visitors who frequented the place. This also led to the rise of numerous bars, restaurants and other business enterprises. The old airfield helped in improving the economy that helped to make the city more accessible. Franco died in 1975 and his successor Juan Carlos I saw to the successful transition of Spain to a new democratic constitutional monarchy. National and regional governments as well as Valencia enjoyed greater autonomy. Landmarks were also built to facilitate sponsor film industries and European Union for Harmonization.