Orihuela

This house was home to the poet and his family between 1914 and 1934. It was a farmhouse, much in line with others which existed in the same street in the early 20th Century. The museum retains the furniture and fittings typical of the area's homes from the last century, tougher with photographs from different moments of the poet's lifetime.

This building is composed of a church, convent and university, all completed at different times. On the exterior, there are two striking renaissance doorways, featuring the founder's family coat of arms and the shield of the Dominican Order. The Baroque entrance to the University shows an allegorical figure representing wisdom. Human figures adorn the Baroque tower. Inside are two magnificent cloisters, the Renaissance one in the convent and the University own Baroque example. The church is a renaissance building with later Baroque additions. An interesting feature in the Renaissance doorway leading to the sacristy and refectory, dating from the late 16th Century with a fascinating base covered in Vatican tiling from the 18th Century.

Built on the remains of the old Moorish mosque, the building started out as a Parish Church, ascending in importance, as Archiprestal (1281), Collegiate (1413) and finally becoming a Cathedral in 1510. Building started at the end of the 13th Century. It is of Levantine Gothic Style, with three naves and a gallery, a transept transformed by Pere Compte at the beginning of the 16th Century and side chapels between the buttresses. Of note inside is the ironwork, the Baroque organ, the work of Jacinto Perales and the choir stalls, made by Juan Bautista Borja and Tomás Llorens (1716-1718). The sacristy is home to the relics cabinet and cupboard, the work of José Ganga (1732-1734), holding diverse relics within a carved bust. On the outside, of note in the Tower, built between the late 13th Century and the mid-14th Century, the same as the three main gateways, The Puerta de Cadenas (14th Century), Puerta de Loreto (15th Century) and finally, the Portada de la Anunciación, completed by Juan Inglés in 1558.

Built on the land occupied earlier by the Corpus Christi hospital, one of the city's medieval hospitals. In 1558 the city exchanged plots with Archishop Esteban Almeyda and the hospital was relocated to the Parish of Santiago. The building may have started in the 16th Century, soon after the establishment of the Orihuela Bishopric. It underwent profound changes in the 18th Century under the reigns of Bishops José Flores Ososrio and Pedro Albornoa Tapia. In the mid-20th century, it lost its original functions, was restored at the beginning of the 21st Century and is currently home to the Diocese Museum of Sacred Art. At the back, facing the river, there is a gallery with semi-circular arches. Inside, another striking feature is the cloister with heraldic decoration, the main staircase of Alicante marble and the dome built on an octagonal base, with exterior cobalt blue glazed tiles.

The Wall Museum is located in the basement of the "Casa del Paso" building, on the Salesas Campus of the Miguel Hernández University. It also houses an interesting and well organised archaeological site, set up after various stages of excavation between 1998 and 2000. Significant architectural heritage sites are well conserved: The town wall, four watchtowers dating back to the Almohad era (Designated Cultural sites since 14/12/1998), Arab baths, Islamic and early medieval streets and homes, a Gothic palace and architectural remains of the Casa del Paso (17th Century). Furthermore, remains dating back from the second half of the 12th Century to the 20th Century have been recovered. During the visit, around the perimeter path and glazed walkways, there is also a variety of complementary resources to help interpret the findings, such as display panels, scale models, signposts, display cases and a video.

According to tradition, this church was constructed on the site of the former Gothic Parish of Saint Julian after the image of the Virgin Mary was unearthed following the city's recapture from Moorish rule. The building is a Baroque temple designed in the shape of a Latin cross, with a Neoclassical facade displaying the anagram of Our Lady of Monserrate. Inside, the Hallazgo chapel contains a cave where the image of the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared. Above this site, the old niche is now dedicated to the Cristo de la Buena Muerte. The high altar is home to the niche containing the Virgin of Monserrate, the city's patron saint.

In may 1976, a great wave arrived in Orihuela, coming from many parts of the world this was the tribute to Miguel Hernández. An actual "cultural spring" bloomed in the plazas and streets of the city, particularly in Barrio San Isidro, reviving the life and the work of the poet. To that historic birthplace came painters, writers and musicians, set in the context of difficult times and uncertain transition, reclaiming the freedom that had been absent from their lives. It was an event that still remains recorded in collective memory, not only of the passionate Hernández devotees, but of everyone who defended democratic freedom. At that time of hope, doubt and anxiety, culture elevated the spirit of the people. More than thirty five years passed and to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the poet's death, on the 28th March, 2012, the Culture Department of Orihuela Ayuntamiento, in collaboration with many involved in the cultural life of Orihuela, undertook the task of restoring the murals in Barrio San Isidro; Once again covering the walls of the houses with murals with echoes of profound cultural and political significance. More than a hundred painters took part in this collaborative project, telling their stories on 43 walls, including some who were there in 1976 (Pepe Azorín, Nicasio Cañaveras and Joan Castejon), people from the Barrio San Isidro, primary and secondary teachers and their pupils, a group of disabled people; a true exercise in citizen participation. The project involved people working together with paintbrushes and rollers to essentially recreate the life and work of Miguel Hernández who died defending freedom and his belief in a just world. The result can be viewed on the streets of Camino Viejo de Oriolet, Chopo, Acacia, Tomillo, San Isidro Labrador, Sauce, Algarrobo and Almendro. Here you will find an open air gallery and museum, decorated with 53 murals of many colours and the green and ochre of the Sierra de Orihuela. You are invited to take this cultural and artistic journey through Barrio San Isidro, retracing the footsteps of the poet Miguel Hernández.

The Sierra de Orihuela is a 9.4 km long limestone mountain range that looms over the city of Orihuela. Its highest peak, Peña de Orihuela, stands at 634 meters, and the range's sheer cliffs have made it a popular destination for rock climbers. Hikers venturing up Monte St. Miguel can explore the ruins of Castillo de Orihuela and enjoy panoramic views of the city below.