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Lucentum is not a name that many people immediately associate with the enormous success of the tourist industry in the Alicante region. However, the world on the Costa Blanca would probably have looked very different if Lucentum had not existed. In the area of Albufereta, a few kilometres from the current city centre, lies the cradle of modern Alicante. Its origins go back a long way. The oldest remains date from the 6th century BC when the Iberians formed a settlement there. Three centuries later it was the turn of the Carthaginians to leave their mark on the area. From that time, remains of the first fortified walls can still be seen. But in the wave of changing cultures that populated the area, little had managed to withstand the ravages of time until then. It was only when the Romans arrived around the turn of the year that work was carried out, the evidence of which can still be seen today. For those interested in the history of Alicante, there is now quite a lot to admire. Lucentum (Latin for City of Light) offers a view of the walls, Roman baths, a forum and many houses. What else lies hidden underground will have to become apparent from future excavations.
The gradual decline of Lucentum began in the third century when Elche became more important to the Romans. There was a guarantee of a better water supply than in Lucentum. Eventually it was completely abandoned. It only revived briefly with the arrival of the Moors, but from that time only a large Muslim cemetery can actually be seen.
An additional reason why Lucentum plays a rather obscure role in the consciousness of residents and tourists is that the total surface area of more than 30,000 m2 is surrounded by urban high-rise buildings. That is a pity. At the time of most excavations, the competition had to be entered into with the rapidly growing tourist industry. Project developers paid little attention to the importance of the historical location. The battle between two rival interests was initially won by the historians and the archaeologists. The city council gave the area protected status in 1961. But it wasn't until the nineties that archaeologists could really get to work.
If you want to know more about the objects that archaeologists have found, a visit to the MARQ archaeological museum in the city is definitely worth it. Despite Lucentum's relative obscurity, it still lives on in the name of various companies, associations and sports clubs.
