Orihuela Civil Heritage

Palacio del Conde de Granja de Rocamora. A Baroque palace with a clear hierarchy of windows and interesting cover. There are collections of furniture, clocks, etc., entire works attributed to Bassano and works of Vicente Lopez, Madrazo, Sanchez Lozano, etc. The design of the main facade is attributed to James Bort.

Palace of the Counts of Luna (Teodomiro or Palace of the Dukes of Bejar). An 18th-century building made in Baroque style. It follows the style that is typical of Baroque palaces in Orihuela and emphasizes the dome that is decorated with baroque frescoes and tiles from the 18th century.

Palacio Rubalcava. A 20th-century building with an important collection of ceramic pieces from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. It also highlights the collection of paintings with works from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, as well as works from the School of Lorena.

The scheme was built in the imitation of Baroque palaces. The hallway is lit by a dome, and there is a neo-Baroque marble staircase with a socket that provides access to the tile floor. It is currently used as one of two tourist offices located in Orihuela City.

Modernist Architecture

Collection Severino Ballesta. Set of three buildings set by the Art Nouveau architect Severino Ballesta.

House Villaescusa. Modernist building from the ’20s on Columbus Street.

Casa de San Gregorio. Modernist building from the ’20s on San Gregorio.

House Casinello. Nineteenth-century modernist building, near the National Library of Fernando Loazes. At present it is used by the Department of Youth.

Casa Raimundo. Modern building with interesting facade decorated entirely with green tiles.

Plaza Nueva. Square Art Nouveau architect Severino Ballesta from the ’20s, with benches, fountains, and lampposts decorated with tiles. It was restored in 1985.

Bishop’s Palace. Eighteenth-century Baroque palace. Highlights are a small cloister and Baroque stairwell topped in a dome and the entrance to the Curia, where there is still the coat of one of the last bishops of Cartagena. It was the palace where the bishop resided until his transfer to Orihuela to Alicante. The Bishop’s Palace will host the Diocesan Museum of Orihuela. The monument was declared Spanish Cultural Historic Heritage.

Palace of Count Pinohermoso. A 16th-century building that’s been completely refurbished. Highlights are the main facade and south side. Inside you will find the Public Library of Fernando Loazes, the historical archives of Orihuela, and the municipal archives of Orihuela. The latter two have been declared BIC. It also contains an interesting collection of portraits from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Palace of the Marques de Rafal. Building of architectural interest made in the 19th century and expanded in the 20th century. Inside it contains interesting paintings and sculptures by various authors, including Jose Maria Sanchez Lozano. It contains an important notarized file with protocols of the 17th century. The building is situated opposite the Palace of Count Pinohermoso and is headquarters, since 1992, of the Public Library Loazes Fernando.

Other Palaces are: Portillo Palace (18th century), Palacio de la Condesa Via Manuel (20th century), Palace of the Marquises of Ruvalcaba (20th century), Palacio de Togores Roca and Cerda (15th–18th centuries), Palacio de los Togores Rock (19th century), the Palacete Mejias (19th century), and Palace Rebaglieto (18th century).

City Market. Building with steel structure from the early 20th century. It was designed by Severino Ballesta under the modernist reforms carried out in the ’20s and ’30s in the city, following the tenets of the architecture of the iron. At present it has been restored with the La Lonja auditorium located there and is annexed to the Conservatorio Profesional “Baritone Pedro Terol.”

Other Notable Buildings and Sites

Plaza de Toros. Built in 1905, replacing a previous building located in the Convent of St. Augustine and where the long tradition of bullfighting in the city continued. During those years it was located on the outskirts of the city near the old way of Molins but is now in a state of ruin.

Palace of the Baron de Linde. An 18th- century building made in Baroque style, with one of the many noble families of Orihuela residing there. The Carlism headquarters were of the old style, with over a hundred grand ancestrals conserved in Orihuela, belonging to the Marquis of Rubalcava.

Palace of the Marques de Arneva. A Baroque palace with a clear hierarchy of windows; one of its sides keeps the coat from the former purpose. It emphasizes the coat of arms of the corner of the house of the Palace of the Marquis of Arneva.

It houses interesting paintings, including those by artists such as Joaquin Agrasot and Eduardo Vicente and books from the 15th century. It is currently the headquarters of the City Council and mayor.

The palm trees are not distributed over the whole surface, but only at the margins of fields, roads, and irrigation systems. The palm is an interesting system of irrigation-intensive agriculture. The input of water occurs through the ditches of Callosa Escorrata, Azarbes of Escorratell, and Las Fuentes.

The land use is the highest, with crops that are two or even three stories in height. The lower floor is formed by grass, vegetables, fruit, and upper intermediate date palms. It is currently declared as World Heritage.

Heritage in Parishes

The salt. Important archaeological site situated on the slopes of a small hill in Los Desamparados. It covers a broad chronology, from the fourth through sixth centuries. The site, due to its importance, was declared of cultural interest.

Tower of Cabo Roig. This is a watchtower, built like many others in the 16th century, to prevent attacks by Berber pirates. It is cylindrical in shape and sloped at its base. The slope is situated on the gateway, as well as many small windows. Stresses inside the vault are of bricks that separate the first floor from the ground floor. It was declared BIC.

Mill City. It was built between 1902 and 1905, possibly on the ruins of an 18th-century mill, which kept the weir or dam.

Mojones Kingdom, also Pinocchio. These are monoliths of rock sent for building by King Ferdinand the Catholic to mark the boundary between the kingdoms of Murcia (Castilla) and Valencia (Aragon). These are replicas of a set from King Carlos III of Spain.

Norias Twin. Of Islamic origin, the current masonry work dates back to the 18th century.

Puente Romano de la Dehesa de Campoamor.

Each parish has its own parish, many from the 18th century, and some even have shrines.

Wells of Creams. Old water tank, hydraulic project from the 19th century, created to supply water for the city of Orihuela.

Comedy House. Building from the 17th century with Baroque work; it is now the headquarters of Caritas Interparroquial.

Casino Orcelitano. A 19th-century building erected in 1880 and completed in 1887, when it was opened. The patterns are academic and eclectic architecture. There are several highlighted several features, such as the central courtyard with Andalusian tiles, the Empire Room, and the dance floor.

Palm San Anton. This picturesque site was declared of cultural interest (BIC) by the Spanish Historical Heritage Sites of Community Interest (SCI). The Palm San Anton plant is approximately semicircular. Its origin is probably Islamic.