History of Torrevieja, Alicante
- Fact: Torrevieja was named after the old tower that used to stand watch over the coast from the city's present site. Torrevieja literally means Old Tower.
Romans, Salt and the Sea – Torrevieja's past
Romans grasped the importance of Torrevieja's location and its natural attributes, thus using it both as a port and to produce salt. Roman ruins have been found submerged near the canal to the La Mata lagoon, just north of town.
The Moors
The Moors occupied the area and built various watch towers along the coast in the 14th century to warn of impending attacks by the Barbary pirates. Two of those towers have been restored and are still visible today. There was also a tower in the vicinity of present day Torrevieja but it was destroyed in 1829. It was around this tower that the city of Torrevieja was built after King Charles decided to move the administration of the salt mines here on April 3 1803.
1829 Earthquake in Torrevieja
In 1829 a great earthquake levelled much of Torrevieja. It was so devastating that King Fernando VII himself actually took up a national collection of charity to rebuild the city. Over the following decades Torrevieja was gradually rebuilt according to the plans of the military architect Larramendi. During the process, stone blocks were pulled from the rubble of the collapsed watch tower town that Torrevieja was built around and used in the rebuilding of the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
The port and the sea
The sea and salt have always been the lifeline of Torrevieja... wandering the city today and witnessing its massive, ever active port, and its ships laden with salt from the mines, it's obvious that little has changed.
