| Villena | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Valencian community | |
| Altitude | 505 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 345.6 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 35222 | |
| Name inhabitants | villenensi or villeneri | |
| Prefix tel | 34 965, 966 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 03400 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Virgen da las Virtudes | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Villena is a city of Valencian community, in eastern Spain.
To know
It is the capital of the Alto Vinalopò comarca, in the province of Alicante.
How to orient yourself
Villena: full screen map.You can find your way around thanks to the "Centro de recepcion de visitantes" in the historic center (see section What see) and at the tourism shop in the central Plaza de Santiago.
How to get
By plane
The closest airport to Villena is that of Alicante, which is located about 60 km. From the airport it is possible to take the C6 line of the SuBùs to Alicante, and from there a train or bus to Villena.
Alternatives can be the airport of Albacete (120 km), of Murcia (124 km) or Valencia (130 km).
By car
Several roads connect Villena to the rest of Spain:
- A3 (Autovia de Levante) connects to Madrid, Murcia and Alicante
- CV81 connects to Nacional 301 Murcia-Madrid and Nacional 430 to Valencia
On the train
In Villena there are 2 railway stations:
- Estación de Villena (central), with medium and long distance trains to and from the Comunidad Valenciana and Madrid, Barcelona, Murcia, Cartagena, Galicia, Cornisa del Norte is Bilbao.
- Estación de Villena Alta Velocidad (about 6 km from Villena), on the high-speed line to and from Madrid, Gijon, Santander is Pontevedra.
There is also the Estación de la Encina, located in the homonymous hamlet about 20 km from Villena, which was an important communication hub between Madrid, Alicante and Valencia until the construction of another variant between Alicante and Valencia in the 1970s.
By bus
Through the company ALSA Villena can be reached from Alicante or Valencia by bus.
How to get around
The relatively small size of the city allows for easy walking.
Within Villena, public transport is managed by the company Autobuses de Villena, which connects the extremes of the town through lines A, AC, B and BC. The single ticket costs € 0.95, while the 10-trip pass costs € 7.45 (€ 5.75 for pensioners).
What see
- 1 Centro de recepcion de visitantes, C / General Prim nº 2, ☎ 34 965 803893, @[email protected].
Free. 
Tue-Sun and holidays 11: 00-14: 00, Sat 17: 00-19: 00, Mon closed. Located at the top of the historic center, it contains very interesting audiovisual routes to get to know the main characteristics of Villena: the history, the castle, the buildings, the surroundings, the festivals and the cuisine. To try to start the visit.
Free. 
Tue-Sun and holidays 11: 00-14: 00, Sat 17: 00-19: 00, Mon closed. Located at the top of the historic center, it contains very interesting audiovisual routes to get to know the main characteristics of Villena: the history, the castle, the buildings, the surroundings, the festivals and the cuisine. To try to start the visit.
- 2 Old Town. The historic center extends around the Castillo de la Atalaya and is characterized by narrow streets, squares perched and continuous up and down. Declared Conjunto Histórico-Artístico in 1968, it is where most of the city's monuments are concentrated.
Monuments
- 3 Castillo de la Atalaya, Cerro de San Cristóbal, s / n. Adults € 3, pensioners and children (7-14 years) € 2.25, groups (at least 15 people) € 2.40, disabled € 2.40. closed for works, reopening in autumn. Architectural symbol of the city, it is located on a hill in the center of the city. It was built by the Arabs in the 12th century and has been a Histórico-Artístico Monument since 1931. It is characterized by two lines of walls and the roofs of the first two rooms formed by Almohad vaults, the oldest of this style in Spain together with the nearby castle of Biar.
- 4 Casa de la familia Mergelina, Plaza de las Malvas. Stately residence dating from the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, today it is used as a shelter for the elderly. The Baroque façade is particularly beautiful, while the interiors have been the subject of numerous interventions over time.
- 5 Monument to Ruperto Chapí, Paseo de Chapí.
Museums
- 6 Palacio Municipal, Plaza de Santiago, 1, ☎ 34 965 801150, fax: 34 965 806146, @[email protected]. Adults € 2.00, pensioners (over 65) and children (7-14 years) € 1.50, groups (at least 15 people), disabled, unemployed and i-más cardholders € 1.60, tour operators € 1, free for children under 7. Tue-Fri 10: 00-14: 00, Sat-Sun and holidays 11: 00-14: 00, Mon closed. The beautiful town hall also contains the José María Soler archaeological museum, which contains artifacts from the area ranging from the Paleolithic to the 19th century. Do not miss the Tesoro de Villena, a true symbol of the city, consisting of 59 pieces from the Bronze Age for a total of almost 10 kilos of gold and 600 grams of silver, declared "Bien de Interés Cultural" and exhibited together with the smaller but still interesting Tesorillo de Cabezo Redondo. By calling you can also get a guided tour.
- 7 House of the Selva family, Plaza de Santiago, 3, ☎ 34 966 150236, fax: 34 966 150066, 34 965 806146. Adults € 1.50, pensioners and children (7-14 years) € 1.15, groups (at least 15 people) € 1.20. Tue-Fri 12: 00-14: 00, Sat-Sun and holidays 11: 00-14: 00, Mon closed. Festero Museum. Only guided tour with appointment from the Tourist Info of Plaza de Santiago.
- 8 , C / Escultor Navarro Santafé, 34, ☎ 34 966 150 236 (Tourist office), fax: 34 966 150 066 (Tourist office). Adults € 1.50, pensioners and children (7-14 years) € 1.15, groups (at least 15 people) € 1.20. Tue-Fri 12: 00-14: 00, Sat-Sun and holidays 11: 00-14: 00, Mon closed. Museum dedicated to the great sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé. Only guided tour with appointment from the Tourist Info of Plaza de Santiago.
- 9 Botijo Museum, C / Párroco Azorín, 5, ☎ 34 618 841308, @[email protected]. Visits by appointment.
Churches
- 10 Iglesia arciprestal de Santiago, Plaza de Santiago s / n. Adults € 1.50, pensioners and children (7-14 years) € 1.15, groups (at least 15 people) € 1.20, disabled persons € 1.20. Tue-Thu 12: 00-14: 00, Fri 13: 00-14: 00, Sat and holidays 11: 00-14: 00, Sun 10: 00-11: 30, Mon closed. Church begun in the fourteenth century, Monumento Histórico-Artístico Nacional since 1931, is one of the most important Gothic-Renaissance buildings of the Valencian Community. Particularly representative are the twisted columns, similar to those of the Lonja di Valencia is Majorca, a great example of the Catalan Gothic style. You can get a guided tour by appointment from the Tourist Info in Plaza de Santiago.
- 11 Iglesia de Santa María. Free. Mon-Sat 18: 00-20: 30, Sun 09: 00-14: 30, 18: 00-20: 30. Built over an old Muslim mosque in the 16th century. Particularly worth the climb to the bell tower from which you can have a beautiful view of the entire historic center and the castle, but you can go up on very few occasions. It is also possible to visit it outside the indicated times by calling the Tourist info.
- 12 Ermita de San Antón, C / San Antón. Located near the plaza de Santiago, it dates back to at least 1586. In 2006, the works that transformed it from a place of worship into an exhibition hall were completed.
- Ermita de San José.
Squares
- 13 Plaza de Santiago.
- 14 Plaza Mayor.
- Plaza de las Malvas.
- 15 Paraje de las Cruces.
Events and parties
- Medieval market, Rabal district. Middle of March. Historical festival that takes place the weekend before the celebration of San José. A market set in medieval times is opened, with costumes, decorations, products and shows from that time. On this occasion it is possible to climb the bell tower of the church of Santa Maria.
- Semana santa, Rabal district. Middle of March. Easter celebrations that begin on Good Friday from the Iglesia Arciprestal de Santiago from where the processions of the seven Catholic brotherhoods depart. The most significant is the Procesión del Encuentro ("procession of the encounter") in which at the end the images of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and Nuestro Padre Jesús are joined.
- Aúpa Lumbreiras. Summer. The most important summer punk rock festival in Spain.
- Festival de Títeres, Barrio de Las Cruces. Summer. Puppet festival, especially dedicated to children.
- 1 Semana de Cine, Casa de la Cultura, Plaza de Santiago 1. Between the first and third week of August. Film festival showing recently released films
- Moros y Cristianos. 4-9 September. One of the oldest festivals in all of Spain, it dates back to 1474 when, according to legend, the Virgen de las Virtudes, who defeated the plague, was proclaimed patron saint of Villena. The feast is structured through the participation of fourteen "extras" (seven blackberries and seven Christian).
- Folklore Festival. Second or third weekend of September. Festival that takes place over 2 days: Saturday evening in the Plaza de las Malvas and Sunday morning in the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes. Usually a foreign group, a national group and two groups from the Comunidad Valenciana participate, in addition to the Villena dance group.
- Muestra Villena. End of September / beginning of October. Exhibition of trade, agriculture, motors, promotion and leisure, accompanied by cultural and musical events.
See also Fiestas y Eventos on the Villena tourism website.
What to do
- 1 Chapí Theater, C / Luciano López Ferrer, nº 17, ☎ 34 965 814750, fax: 34 965 805473, @[email protected]. Theater dedicated to the villenero composer Ruperto Chapí, it was begun in 1914 and inaugurated in 1925. The diversity of architectural styles stands out, between the classicist main facade and the historicist modernist side facades with neo-Arab sloping. Today it is one of the most active theaters in the Valencian Community. Guided tours are possible by appointment.
- 2 Plaza de toros, Avenida de la Constitución, s / n. Plaza de toros inaugurated in 1924 and, after falling into disuse in the 1980s, renovated and reopened in 2010. It hosts bullfights and other types of events (sports, concerts, etc.).
- House of Culture, Plaza de Santiago, 7, ☎ 34 965 801150, @[email protected]. Cultural activities (music, cinema, theater, reading, etc.)
- Route of the Vino de Alicante, ☎ 34 693 066227, @[email protected]. Villena is included in the Alicante Wine Route.
Shopping
Villena specializes in the production of quality footwear, especially for children and teenagers.
How to have fun
Where to eat
The villenera cuisine is a mixture of that of La Mancha and the Mediterranean: the most typical dishes are gachamiga, gazpacho manchego, Valencian paella, arroz y pata, trigo "picao", zarangollo and pelotas de relleno. Among the desserts, you will certainly appreciate sequillos, rollicos de vino and almendrados.
On the beverage side, Monastrell and Fondillon wines are typical, as well as Cantueso, Herbero, Anisete and above all Katakì liqueurs.
Where stay
- 1 Salvadora hotels, Avenida de la Constitución, 102, ☎ 34 965 800950-8891, fax: 34 965 813466, @[email protected]. The only hotel in the city, it is located on the main road. It also offers restaurant service.
Safety
Particular attention should be paid to the barrio de los gitanos (gypsy quarter), which is the heart of the historic center, especially when it gets dark.
How to keep in touch
Around
The surroundings of Villena offer many opportunities for trekking (Sierra de Salinas, the Villa, the Pena Rubia or el Morrón) or as passages for longer routes such as the Camino de Santiago, the Camino del Cid or the Via Verde del Chicharra. There is also no shortage of possibilities for climbing and paragliding.
Finally, among the sites of cultural interest (archaeological sites) we mention Cabezo Redondo, the Laguna de Villena, Saleros and Hornos de Yeso.
To visit
- 16 Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes, Av. Santuario, 2, Las Virtudes, ☎ 34 965 814397. Tue-Fri 10: 00-13: 30, 18: 00-20: 00 (summer) or 17: 00-19: 00 (winter), Sat-Sun 09: 00-14: 00, 18: 00-20: 00 (summer) or 17: 00-19: 00 (winter), Mon closed. Sanctuary located in the hamlet of Las Virtudes, about 5 km from Villena, declared Conjunto Histórico-Artistico in 1976. The first hermitage (of which the remains remain in the crypt) is dated to the 15th century, when according to tradition, the inhabitants of Villena they went to the Fonte del Pioppo during an epidemic of plague and there they proclaimed the Virgin of Virtues as the new patroness and "advocate against the plague" (1474). Since then the sanctuary (dated 1581 as it appears to us today) has kept the statue of the patron saint of the city.
- 17 Castillo de Salvatierra, sierra de la Villa.
- 18 Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
- 19 Cabezo Redondo, Carretera de Villena-Caudete, intersection with Camino de las Fuentes, ☎ 34 965 803893, 34 966 150236. 2 €. only the last weekend of each month until November 2013, guided tours at 11, 12 and 13.
