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Photo: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Showcases archaeological finds from the city and the region.
Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art is a municipal museum in Alicante, Spain. It exhibits 20th-century and contemporary art. Created in 1976 thanks to Eusebio Sempere, and reopened in 2011 after a major renovation, the museum now consists of three permanent collections of about 800 art pieces. The museum is located in Asegurada building, the oldest civil building remaining in the city.
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Castillo de Santa Bárbara / Castle of Santa Barbara
On top of Mount Benacantil at a height of 166 metres, there is one of the largest medieval fortresses in Spain, built in the ninth century by Muslims. An amazing view of town and harbour. If you feel fit, the walk from Plaza de Carmen is a sight in itself, through some narrow winding streets. The castle can also be reached by car, but parking slots are scarce.
Museo de La Asegurada / MACA
On display there are a few works by world-famous artists of the 20th century: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Julio González, Juan Gris, Joan Miró; as well as art collections by two local artists Eusebio Sempere and Juana Francés.
Basilica of Santa María
Begun during the 14th century on top of the remains of an old Moorish mosque, construction was completed in the 16th century, and incorporates Gothic and Baroque stylistic elements in its structure. The main entrance to the church is especially notable for its elaborate Baroque decorative elements; inside the Gothic choir and Rococo altar are noteworthy, along with the Baroque organ from 1653. The exterior still bears traces of bombardment by French forces in the 18th century.
Museo de Aguas de Alicante / Alicante Water Museum
The museum is adjacent to the Pozos de Garrigós (Garrigós Wells), a collection of wells dating from the Moorish period to the 16th century, and in use until 1898. Exhibits in the three-floor modern museum illustrate the history of water resources and distribution in the city and the area.
MUBAG / Palau Gravina
This local fine arts museum, housed in an 18th-century palace, has some excellent artworks by Spanish artists, displayed over 3 floors. Take time to watch the video presentation Black and White about historic Alicante.
MARQ / Museo Arqueológico de Alicante / Archaeological Museum of Alicante
Founded in 1932, it was originally located in the ground floor of the Diputación Palace, and in 2000 it moved to its current location, the former Provincial Hospital building. The museum has an avant-garde design and uses modern audiovisual techniques, with more than 80,000 pieces found in local archaeological sites. It also shows educational movies about the history of Alicante area from the Stone Age, through Iberian and Roman eras, to the Middle Ages.