The beginning of the creation of the Spanish state was laid by the unification in 1479 of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. In the XVI-XVIII centuries, Spain captured vast territories in America, Africa, Asia and Europe. At the same time there was a process of unification of the state, expansion of large land ownership. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Spain has experienced 5 bourgeois-democratic revolutions, none of which has been completed. In 1939, the military regime of Franco’s dictatorship was established in the country. At the beginning of the 1960s, attempts were made by the ruling circles in Spain to liberalize the totalitarian regime. After the death of Franco in 1975, significant changes took place in the country: political prisoners were released, all political parties were legalized, the National Movement (phalanx) was dissolved and the first democratic elections were held (June 15, 1977), a constitution was adopted. In April 1979, the first constitutional government was formed. In May 1979, the first session of the constitutional Cortes Generales opened. On February 23, 1981, the coup attempt failed. On October 28, 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party won the general election with an absolute majority. A one-party socialist government was formed. Spain has been a member of NATO since 1982, but is not part of its military structure, maintaining a non-nuclear status of the territory. Since 1986 – a member of the EU, an active participant in the Maastricht Treaty on the establishment of the European political and monetary and economic union. Check a2zdirectory for old history of Spain.
Alicante, Valencia (Spain)
Alicante is located on the east coast of Spain, called the Costa Blanca. It was founded by the Greeks as early as the 3rd century BC.
The symbol of the city is the fortress of Santa Barbara, which stands on the rock of Benacantil. This is one of the largest fortresses in Europe. You can get here by an elevator located inside the rock. In the architecture of the building, the Tower of Honor, the English Bastion, the chapel and the salon of Philip II stand out.
The main street of the city is La Rambla de Mendez Nunes. On holidays, all kinds of parades and processions are held here. It leads to the Municipal Square, where the building of the Municipality is located. It was built in the years 1701-1780 in the Baroque style. Directly behind the square is the Cathedral of San Nicolás de Bari. It was built in the Renaissance in honor of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the city, its height reaches 45 m.
Visit the Museum of 20th Century Art “La Asegurada” near the Municipality. Opposite you can see the Church of Iglesia de Santa Maria. It is designed in a mixed Gothic and Baroque style. This oldest church in the city was built in the 14th-16th centuries after the victory over the Moors. Before that, there was a Muslim mosque here. In the 18th century, the Gothic building was supplemented with elements in the Baroque style. Of the modern buildings, the building of the Central Market, built in 1921, can be distinguished.
The decoration of the city is the seaside boulevard Paseo Maritimo. It is lined with bright marble tiles and surrounded by a palm avenue, there are many shops and cafes. The boulevard offers a beautiful view of the sea and sandy beaches that stretch for several kilometers along the coastline. The most famous of them is Playa de San Juan. Its length is about 5 km. Near it there are many hotels, bars and restaurants. The beaches of Almadraba and Albufereta are suitable for water sports.
