Elche has had two distinct locations in its history. The first at the site of l’ Alcúdia, which is located two kilometres south of the current city. Inhabited from Neolithic times until the Visigoth era, it offered the strategic advantage of being easy to defend thanks to river Vinalopó. The primitive settlement took shape until it came to form the Iberian city of Helike by the Vth century B.C, and remained in existence up to the Carthaginian invasion in 280 B.C. This was the golden age of Iberian culture, during which the Lady of Elche was sculpted. In the year 209 B.C. the Iberian city was occupied by the Romans, and by the I st century B. C. it had acquired the title of Colonia Iulia Illice Augusta. From here onwards destruction and reconstruction were ongoing as a result of barbarian attacks during the final era of the Visigoths.
With the arrival of the Arabs the city was moved to its current site, between the eighth and ninth centuries, to the neighbourhood known as the “Vila Murada” or walled city. The conquest by the Christian King Jaime I, in 1265, forced the Muslims to leave for the Raval de Sant Joan. Early in the 17th century Elche lost a third of its population as a result of the expulsion of the Moors. In the nineteenth century the important activity of “alpargatería” or espadrille-making emerged, and with it the origins of the current footwear industry that has enhanced the growth of the city.
Elche, located in the south of the autonomous region of Valencia (Spain), is the capital of the region known as Baix Vinalopó. Its population exceeds 230,000 inhabitants and its town has an area of 326 km2. It has a rich history that runs over various millenniums and which has contributed to the cultural heritage and to its landscape treasures like the Lady Of Elche, a piece of artwork which is the most representative of Iberian art; the palm grove, a Spanish and Muslim legacy and the Mystery play of Elche, the last living trace of the medieval religious theater; these last two have been declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
The city has excellent communications thanks to the international airport Alicante-Elche, the complete network of motorways, the nearby port and the railway connection, which will soon have a high-speed train too. All of this, together with quality hotels and accommodation, makes Elche a unique place to go for visitors that want to discover somewhere different.
With the arrival of the Arabs the city was moved to its current site, between the eighth and ninth centuries, to the neighbourhood known as the “Vila Murada” or walled city. The conquest by the Christian King Jaime I, in 1265, forced the Muslims to leave for the Raval de Sant Joan. Early in the 17th century Elche lost a third of its population as a result of the expulsion of the Moors. In the nineteenth century the important activity of “alpargatería” or espadrille-making emerged, and with it the origins of the current footwear industry that has enhanced the growth of the city.
Elche, located in the south of the autonomous region of Valencia (Spain), is the capital of the region known as Baix Vinalopó. Its population exceeds 230,000 inhabitants and its town has an area of 326 km2. It has a rich history that runs over various millenniums and which has contributed to the cultural heritage and to its landscape treasures like the Lady Of Elche, a piece of artwork which is the most representative of Iberian art; the palm grove, a Spanish and Muslim legacy and the Mystery play of Elche, the last living trace of the medieval religious theater; these last two have been declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
The city has excellent communications thanks to the international airport Alicante-Elche, the complete network of motorways, the nearby port and the railway connection, which will soon have a high-speed train too. All of this, together with quality hotels and accommodation, makes Elche a unique place to go for visitors that want to discover somewhere different.
Elche has a hot subtropical semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh).
Climate data for Elche | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 17 (63) |
18 (64) |
20 (68) |
22 (72) |
25 (77) |
30 (86) |
33 (91) |
33 (91) |
29 (84) |
25 (77) |
22 (72) |
18 (64) |
24.3 (75.8) |
Average low °C (°F) | 7 (45) |
8 (46) |
10 (50) |
12 (54) |
15 (59) |
18 (64) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
19 (66) |
16 (61) |
11 (52) |
8 (46) |
14 (57.3) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 20 (0.79) |
19 (0.75) |
22 (0.87) |
26 (1.02) |
24 (0.94) |
5 (0.2) |
1 (0.04) |
1 (0.04) |
14 (0.55) |
22 (0.87) |
28 (1.1) |
20 (0.79) |
202 (7.96) |
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 32 |
Source: Meteoblue[3] |