monomad challenge: scenes from Castell de Santa Barbara

one of the main attractions in Alicante is the old castle/fort on top of Mount Benacantil, the Castell de Santa Barbara. the original fort was built by the Moors but it was captured by the Castilians in the 1200s on the day of the feast of Santa Barbara and thus renamed. several reconstructions have been done throughout the centuries

it's a really great place to visit and i'm sure the vast majority of visitors to the city have been here.

the climb from sea level was steep but full of rewarding views and details along the way so there was plenty of opportunity for us to catch our breath

inside the castle walls there's a nice mix of open space and rooms with arches as well as roads with bridges and more

lovely well kept gardens

passageways and structures on different levels all in stone

and lots of beautiful arches

this bridge is exceptional. i am guessing it is not quite as old as many parts

metal sculptures of medieval knights are displayed in a few places.

one of the main features of the castle is the commanding view of the bay, the city and the surrounding lands. the location is obviously very strategic with several outlook posts

the museum of the city of Alicante is spread out some of the rooms in the main section with art and artifacts from daily living on display

one wall is completely covered with fragments of pottery excavated on the mountain dating from the bronze age and all through the entire history of the various peoples and cultures.

i took all these photos in color with my S22 phone. they have been edited to black and white with some adjustments in contrast, highlights etc.
this post is the second in a series of scenes from Alicante. link to the first
@eolianpariah2/scenes-from-alicante