6 Aug 2010 – A Very Brief History!
Originally settled by the Iberians/ancient Spanish people, Calpe was later the site of a Roman fish-salting factory, located at Los Banos de Reina. Controlled by the Moors during the Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsular/8th-13th centuries, the Castle of Calpe was then built to defend the town against the Christian reconquest, but fell, app 1240 to forces under Jaime I of Aragon.
After the destruction of a small town called Ifach, built on the towering Penon de Ifach, a community was founded in a farmhouse overlooking Calpe bay which developed into the town now called Calpe.
1637, the town was sacked by Barbary pirates and many of its inhabitants taken to Algiers, where they remained prisoners for 5 years. The original walled town was extended during the 17th-18th centuries as the pop increased around an economy based mostly on fishing and salt production. The growth of tourism began back in the 1930’s and has continued to grow ever since, ultimately becoming the main source of income for the town
Avenida Gabriel Miró is Calpe’s main drag, running from the sea/Poniente Beach to the old town at the top of the hill. This street is filled with trendy and fashionable shops… all out of my price range!
Jazz performance at Bolero was fun, especially when the performers are all 60+ Thanks to Rita & Jürgen for a wonderful evening with fireworks to end it. This is the festival weekend; will post pictures with fireworks where the facination only last for a blink of the eye, thus no history 🙂
The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice – Mark Twain