"LUCENTUM: is it worth it?" A trip throughout Alicante's history
Photo taken by Lina Uselyte. At the top of the hill!
A couple of weeks ago we headed to Lucentum, the Roman ruins that once were the ancient city of Alicante, as its flyer says. We were very excited about this place, for it is considered one of the most important archeological sites in the Comunidad Valenciana.
History and socio-cultural importance
Also called “El Tossal de Manises”, Lucentum is located in La Albufereta. It was most likely developed from an Iberian settlement that dates back up to the IV century b.C and disappeared around six centuries later. This ancient city is very close to the sea and is still surrounded by its original wall, which length is over 600 meters. Because of its archeological importance, Lucentum was declared Historic-Artistic Monument in 1961.
Tourism
The route of the city is very short and simple, you follow the path and observe the ruins while reading the small panels at the bottom offering more information about them in Spanish, Valencian, and English. Unlike the MARQ, Lucentum does not offer info in braille but they have available audio-guides (like the museum) in five different languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Valencian. Of course, they are not free, but we found this detail to be very important regarding the services available for foreigners. However, when we arrived, the only [free] flyers they had available were in Valencian, which is a big con. Nevertheless, this pamphlet had drawings indicating the ways of life in the city’s prime, which adds to the general picture one makes of the site.
Photo taken by Silvia Coronel. Information pannels
about the ruins.
You can get plenty of information from the website, yet in the field, there are little to no indications as to which is the path that leads to the ruins. Lucentum is located at the end of a cul-de-sac, and when you walk into it you cannot see the entrance of the site, nor is it indicated anywhere. To be able to find our way, we had to rely on Google Maps, which, we think, says a lot about what the quality of the directions is. Of course, there is the tram stop named “Lucentum”, in which we got off, but this is not even the closest stop to the site nor [yet again] has any indications as to how to get to it.
On the bright side, we could admire how well conserved the city is. The prices are also a big pro for it: a ticket only costs 2€ and you can even get it reduced to 1,20€ if you are a student or retired, for example. They also have a Family Entry which allows all under 15 accompanied by their parents or guardians to enter free.
The biggest pro regarding the tickets, however, is their Joint Entry, which gives you pass to MARQ, LUCENTUM and ILLETA DELS BANYETS for 4€! And valid for a month! If that’s too expensive for you, don’t worry, you can get it reduced, too, under similar circumstances of a regular reduced ticket.
Photo taken by Silvia Coronel. Ksenia and
Catherine posing in Lucentum.
So, in hindsight: is Lucentum worth it? We’d say it depends: if you are a history lover and appreciate a good archeological site, go for it. If you’re nearby and want to learn more about the ancient Rome, Lucentum is your place, too. For the rest of us, we’d say is not a must.
For more information, visit their website: http://www.alicanteturismo.com/
Bibliography
Photos by Ksenia Zaripova, Silvia Coronel, Lina Uselyte and Catherine Redgrave
-Alicantetourism
-Alicantetourism
Lucentum and MARQ's flyers.
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