The archaeological project aims to improve understanding of one of Alicante province’s most important defensive sites and lay the groundwork for its future restoration and public presentation.
Orihuela City Council has begun preparing the first scientific archaeological excavations at the city’s Castle-Alcazaba, one of the most significant historic fortifications in Alicante province.
The project is being led by the council’s Historical Heritage Department and is intended to provide a clearer picture of the site’s historical, architectural and military development. The findings will also support future plans to conserve, interpret and eventually open more of the complex to the public.
Municipal archaeologist Silvia Yus Cecilia is drafting the research project alongside Pedro Jiménez Castillo, an archaeologist and senior researcher with Spain’s National Research Council, the CSIC, at the School of Arabic Studies in Granada.
The work is expected to be technically challenging because of the castle’s elevated position on the Sierra de Orihuela and the difficult terrain surrounding it.
The intervention falls within Spain’s National Defensive Architecture Plan, which establishes scientific standards for the protection and restoration of historic castles and walls. As the Castle-Alcazaba is officially protected as a Site of Cultural Interest, work cannot begin until authorisation is granted by the Valencian regional heritage authorities.
A recent technical visit was carried out to identify the excavation areas for the first phase. Participants included Historical Heritage Councillor Matías Ruiz Peñalver, Alicante provincial archaeology inspector José Luis Simón García and Roberto López Fuentes, who previously worked on the master plan for Orihuela’s castle and city walls.
The planned programme includes an intensive surface survey, archaeological excavations and monitoring, together with specialist restoration work to stabilise structures uncovered as the ground is cleared.
Ruiz Peñalver described the project as a major step towards recovering the history of one of Orihuela’s most emblematic landmarks.
“The Castle-Alcazaba is part of our identity,” he said. “Its study will allow us to move towards its future restoration and opening to the public with full scientific guarantees.”
The research is expected to document the development, construction and changing uses of the fortified site. That evidence will later form the basis of a detailed conservation and museum interpretation project.
The Castle-Alcazaba is considered one of Alicante province’s leading defensive complexes, alongside the castles of Alicante and Dénia. Its importance was strengthened by its role as a frontier stronghold over several centuries, influencing the political, military and social history of the surrounding territory.
The council has also applied for national funding to support the conservation, restoration and structural consolidation of protected heritage sites.
