Villena is a city located in Spain that has a great deal of anthropological history and artifacts. Many of these artifacts can be seen in the Jose Maria Soler Museum located in the city of Alicante, which is a neighbor of Villena. The leader of Villena at the time was Henry the 4th. In 1474, there were many attempts to overthrow the king, and invasions of the Castile, which was a city centerpiece, had begun.
The most famous and archeologically important site in Villena is the Castle of the Atalaya. The castle had served as a means of city defense and as a fortress during times of war for over 900 years. The castle was a marvel of engineering and has stood the test of time through many years and harsh battles. The castle consists of a thick outer wall with 12 guard towers used for sighting an attack from a distance. Inside, there is a space of a few feet before you arrive at the building itself. Inside the castle there is a courtyard with a well, and paths leading to all the guard towers, as well as escape tunnels in case a retreat is called for.
The construction of the castle itself shows an advanced understanding of masonry and stonework. Many of the rooms have large vaulted and domed ceilings created completely from stone and brick, and the outer towers reach heights of up to 27 meters. In the main tower, called the homage tower, the interior room is supported solely on masonry, and its ceiling is a large dome interwoven with iron arches to create a star pattern.
Artifacts from the region are kept in the Museo de Villena. The majority of the materials originated in 50,000 B.C. Many of the artifacts belonged to cave dwelling hunters and consisted of drills, clubs, weapons and arrowheads made from silex. Ceramicware such as bowls, pots and containers have also been found in the caves. These have been attributed to early farmers that lived around 5,000 B.C. Copper knives, spears and daggers started to appear around 3,000 B.C. when the art of metallurgy came into existence. This also brought about the creation of jewelry such as necklaces, rings and earrings into the region.
Villena has strived for centuries, and is still a cultural region today, through the city’s adaptiveness and the knowledge of its people, we can gain a great deal of insight.
References:
15th Century Spain History. 14 Oct. 2003
<http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/tours/spain/h_15.html>
Villena Archaeological museum. 14 Oct. 2003 <http://www.museovillena.com/ing/castillo-caract.htm>
Written by Matt Anderson