Turisme d’Elx :: Discover the city :: History

History

Throughout its history, Elx has had two important settlements. The first was on the l’Alcudia site, two kilometres south of today’s city. It was continuously inhabited from the Neolithic period until the Visigothic period due to its strategic location and to the fact that the river Vinalopó made it easy to defend. By the 5th century BC, the primitive settlement had developed into the Iberian city of Heliké, which survived until 280 BC when it was invaded by the Carthaginians. The city’s Iberian culture experienced a golden age, producing sculptures such as the Dama d’Elx, the best example of the art of this period. This sculpture, the bust of a richly jewelled woman, is at present in Madrid’s National Archaeological Museum.

The Iberian city was romanised in 209 BC and in the 1st century BC it was granted the title of Colonia Iulia Ilice Augusta, a status only accorded to the cities of Ilici (Elche) y Valentia (Valencia) in what is now the Comunidad Valenciana. Indeed, it even enjoyed the imperial privilege of minting its own currency. After the fall of the Roman Empire it was subject to a continuous period of destruction and reconstruction due to the arrival of the Barbarians and the final stage of the Visigoths’ rule.

Under the Moors, a new city, known as the Vila Murada was built on what is the site of present-day Elche between the 8th and 9th centuries. The Christian king Jaume I conquered the city in 1265, forcing the Muslims to live in the Raval de Sant Joan Quarter and the Jews to live in what is now Iglesia del Salvador. Due to the expulsion of the Moriscos in the early 17th century, Elx lost a third of its population. The 19th century saw the rise of the espadrille industry, forerunner of today’s footwear industry which gave momentum to the city’s growth