MATERIAL HERITAGE
Our history
Sant Joan d’Alacant is Close to Everything. Our municipality has everything a visitor could want. We are close to the beach, close to the mountains, close to the capital, Alicante, and close to the neighboring towns of El Campello, Mutxamel, Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Busot and Xixona. Throughout history this population has managed to amass an extraordinary heritage legacy, material and immaterial. This has been possible thanks to the common work between neighboring municipalities and masterful management of the natural resources of our territory.
Our archeology
The Alicante Garden
Orchard towers
The Orchards towers were built in the 16th and 17th centuries in the prosperous Alicante Huerta. In that period, Barbary pirates frequently plundered these lands looking for merchandise and slaves. To mitigate these attacks, a defensive system was developed consisting of watchtowers strategically located on the coast. When the presence of hostile ships was detected in a tower, nearby populations were alerted using smoke signals. When the presence of hostile ships was detected in a tower, nearby populations were alerted using smoke signals. This ingenious system constituted an invisible wall that has earned it recognition as an Asset of Cultural Interest.
Farms and houses
The prosperity of Camp d’Alacant during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries favored the construction of important farm houses typical of La Huerta. During the 19th century, the elite of the Alicante capital acquired the best properties as a sign of power and wealth. Some houses were renovated under nineteenth-century hygienist models, adapting to the tastes of the time, marked by Swiss or French influences. Many nobles and bourgeoisie used Sant Joan d’Alacant as a second residence, giving rise to what we call summer vacations today. Others, however, chose the town as their habitual residence, fleeing the hustle and bustle of the capital.
Hermitages and Churches
Sant Joan d’Alacant has numerous hermitages scattered throughout the Alicante Huerta. Today the Santjoaners continue to celebrate their religious traditions there. They are located next to traditional paths. The oldest are the Hermitage of San Roque (16th century), that of the Virgin of God of Loreto (16th century), the Hermitage of Santa Ana (16th century), and the Hermitage of Calvari (18th century). These hermitages were erected after the Council of Trent (1545-1563) which marked the ratification of certain popular practices related to devotion to the saints and the cult of the Virgin.