Tabarca Island belongs to the inner parts of the Betic Cordillera, particularly the complex Alpujárrade. Add to that found at the intersection of two faults; Jumillla of Elche and the Bajo Segura. The oldest rocks are of Triassic outcrop: Ophites, marl, dolomite, but there are rocks of Miocene marine origin (bioclastic calcarenites) and Quaternary continental and marine origin and have continuity with the Cape of Santa Pola ( Clusters and Lulita).
Image No. 1 obtained from the web Geoalicante . It shows the geological map of the island of New Tabarca.
are already indications of this island in the texts of Strabo , who called Planesia , speaking of her as a small island with many pitfalls (now called Negre, Roig, Cap del moro, Sabata or Naveta) in its vicinity, which greatly hindered the approach to it. Belda Father told us about the existence of a settlement and a necropolis in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Almadraba.
In the fourteenth century (1337) the Council of Elche, who at that time depended on the island, decided to build a tower to defend the waters, with great presence of pirates at the time.
But when he began to take shape island was in 1768, when Charles III, on the recommendation of Conde de Aranda (Captain General of the Kingdom of Valencia), moved Genoese the captive population from the Tunisian island of Tabarka, currently attached to Africa (prior to settlement, for the adequacy of the island, the villagers settled in the College of the Society of Jesus, recently expelled from the country.) He had previously fortified certain parts of the island, considering the ideas of a military engineer and infantry colonel Fernando Méndez de Ras. With all this, the Crown claimed that there was reinstalled pirates. Those who inhabited the island Carlos III gave them exemptions and privileges of the weapons.
If we make the convenient visit it will see a common characteristic their homes, two heights, with a door and a window on the ground floor and two balconies on the second floor. These homes are located in rectangular blocks inside a walled area with a pit that own poultry houses used (Pérez Bayer said in 1782). Island also had vaults for war materials, barracks, stables, a laundry, cisterns to collect rainwater, a warehouse for the rush, a flour mill, a bread ovens, lime and plaster. On the island we can find the Governor's House , For the council but was finally occupied by the military. The church dedicated to San Pedro and San Pablo , rectangular nave and divided into four sections and side chapels between buttresses and curvilinear plant sanctuary. Outside the walls are Lighthouse Tower and . The latter called San Jose which is a truncated-pyramid building with a square base with three floors, designed by Baltasar Ricoud (1,789), used in the nineteenth century as a state prison. The lighthouse is located next to the cemetery (in the westernmost part of the island) as projected John Laurenti (1854), is square in whose center stands the tower prismatic lantern light signals, the whole style is academic. This lighthouse Figueras Pacheco ranked us at the beginning of this century as reflector and third order .
Image No 4. One of the places Tabarca with a well in the foreground and the Governor's house in the background .
Picture # 5. Here are the Tower of San Jose and the Lighthouse in the background.
As an element of cohesion among all find the wall, consisting three doors: one north of the island called land of Alicante or San Miguel , and two, known as Levante and San Rafael which lies east of the island, and Trencada or the San Gabriel which lies to the west, with both doors with Doric pilasters. The wall in its eastern part would end in a castle (Castillo de San Carlos) who never get to perform and gives access to an eighteenth-century port.
No. 6 Image extracted from websites Otrascosas.com . Here you can see the door left San Rafael, San Miguel in the center and St. Gabriel on the right.
Building materials were obtained from the island of La Cantera (located west of the island).
Before the second part that will make direct reference to the title of the article I refer to what English said a traveler (Richard Twiss) in 1773. This author says that it is an island so barren that there are no trees or water. And people live in income and can not land at the port when they want, making them fear for water supply. Even comments that have mounted a string f actory its benefits given only to starve .
But not to be so negative comment I wrote something Figueras Pacheco in the Geography of the Kingdom of Valencia (1914) on this island. This author adds another name for the island, the Island of Poets (also known to receive the name of San Pablo, Santa Pola and Santa Paula), ... Place because of iSign Favourite poet Salvador Rueda, looking often at this place of peace and isolation necessary to write his books of poems inspired. In addition to reminding us that the population depends on fishing and the 949 up and 946 people in fact of law. ... It has a school for boys and one for girls, has post police and customs fifth class, enabled the introduction of domestic articles of prime necessity, conducted from Santa Pola, with traffic documents bay.
currently manages the creation of a medical plaza owner who resided in this village, avoid serious inconvenience posed to the residents having to travel to Alicante or Santa Pola always losing health.
you imagine ...
... a small island with almost two miles long and a half wide, which in its western part is a small village in the eighteenth century. It is precisely these last two terms (Siglo XVIII) that I love that they could recover . This does not advocate a "Far West" of the eighteenth century with actors representing the king's soldiers, but try to make this a jewel in the rough jewelry that was declared a National Historical Site in 1964.
thing three weeks ago I was in this island that had long since I did not visit and take a disappointment, I was expecting better . On the one hand the situation on the island itself and secondly the possibility discussed in the previous paragraph.
When I speak of the situation prevailing in the island talk about both the visitors, who leave their traces cans of clams, mussels ... in the coves as if they were works of art; competent authorities, in order to agree a bit more about it; and Tabarquino , which are seen some neglect in their island. What most struck me were the remains of construction materials in its coves and its main beach and the rehabilitation of the building Almadraba to become the Museum of New Tabarca, which in my view, and this is a personal opinion, not very successful, not at all remember the old building.
Image No. 7 obtained from the website of the City of Alicante where you go to left the museum and right now the old building Almadraba.
The other of my "claims" is dedicated to the City Council and the Generalitat , attempting to be an island to visit and where to see something new. I think that if they were on that island visitors something different (although I do not trust the cleanliness of the people) and Tabarquino would strive to maintain.
I imagine an island with clean walls and restored (currently it gives are in along with the church), a governor's house carefully, although some streets are not paved pavements have something more beautiful (even knowing that is an ambiguous concept), a more care places, a uniformity in style (something that can come from government grants, such as in Holy Face), an enhancement of the Tower of San José and the wells located before him, and a clean port and uniform. Since I arrived and I took a ride no longer imagine an island that leads to a world in which its forms are of the eighteenth century (but which does not become a theme park. you imagine ...
Because the last time the photos were easy to put on and that there are real Sherlock Holmes, this I have increased a little difficulty.
Greetings!
