The archaeological site of Pobla de Ifach in Calp was a small population of settlers that emerged at the end of the 13th century at the foot of the Peñón de Ifach and lived there for about a hundred years. Some remains of that medieval civilization are still preserved today. Thanks to the work carried out by the Alicante Provincial Archaeological Museum (MARQ), we can learn how this place came to be, what its characteristics were, and what the people who lived there were like.
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Features
The Pobla d'Ifac in Calp extended over 70.000 m2 north of the Rock and featured an immense wall 800 meters long. The outer wall was used for the disposal of material and organic remains. Today, 200 meters of the great wall in the northern area and ten projecting towers remain. The towers measured around 11 and 13 meters in height at that time.
The architectural style of the area is classified as Colonial Gothic. The houses and businesses were laid out around the central axis of the main street, typical of medieval towns.
In addition to these spaces, there was also a two-story political building where the power and administration of the House of Llúria was housed, a church, a customs office, workshops, warehouses and houses.
The role of the church stood out, which in addition to being a place of worship, served as a shelter or warehouse for crops, among other uses. Its bells were used both to warn of the change of time and to alert the inhabitants in case of danger. On the other hand, oaths were sworn in, documents were published and drafted on its portal, and ceremonies were held. little square (small markets), in addition to meetings held by the brotherhood or the local community.
History
La Pobla de Ifach Construction of the castle of Calp began in the 1232th century, under the direction of Admiral Roger de Llúria. This land was granted by the Crown to this historical figure following his role as a soldier and diplomat in the Mediterranean during the Christian conquest (between 1245 and XNUMX during the reign of James I).
The project began there in 1297, with the intention of occupying territories that had belonged to the Muslims and utilizing the population as Christian settlers. The settlers came from the central and western regions of Catalonia and, until then, were scattered throughout the hamlets of the Calp cadastral district.
The head of the family was responsible for the construction of the town's first structures and walls until his death in 1305. The absence of his son and heir, Roger de Llúria y Lancia, meant that the widow Saurina d'Entença and her daughter Margarita de Llúria y Entença were responsible for its completion. Intending to demonstrate the family's power and prestige, the latter commissioned the construction of a large church dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels.
The history of the Pobla de Ifach of Calp is rather ephemeral, since it only lasted about 100 years. In the 1359th century, the population moved to what is currently the historic center and the walled area of Calp due, among other reasons, to the War of the Two Pedros between the crowns of Castile and Aragon, which especially affected the Valencian region. In XNUMX there would be a partial destruction of the place at the hands of the Castilian-Genoese fleet and the place would finally be abandoned despite some repopulation attempts at the beginning of the XNUMXth century.
Their habitants
Thanks to studies conducted by the MARQ (National Association of Municipalities of Calpe), we can see that the Pobla de Ifach community in Calpe did not have a large population. However, it was the only urban entity that concentrated the feudal, collective, social, and religious powers of that territory.
The town had different types of inhabitants: guard corps, hierarchical entities and Christian individuals and families, who probably came from Catalan lands and were part of the feudal colonization that occurred at the end of the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century. .
In this community, fishing was of particular importance, as the population relied heavily on fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. Plant resources also played a significant role in the population's functioning, as buildings were made of wood and firewood was needed to heat homes.
Furthermore, as was typical in a medieval village, religion was part of the inhabitants' daily lives. Therefore, the church was an essential place where various activities, not just religious ones, took place.
Sources: The medieval town of Ifach. Provincial Archaeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ).
