Plaza del Ayuntamiento – Town Hall Square

Welcome to the heart of Alicante, the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, or Town Hall Square. The town hall is housed in a beautiful 18th-century Baroque palace, built between 1699 and 1780. Its main façade stretches 49 metres wide and is flanked by two identical towers. Next to the entrance, you’ll see a bust of Cervantes, placed here to mark the 300th anniversary of the publication of Don Quixote. Feel free to step inside.  At the base of the main staircase, you’ll spot the cota cero, or “zero level”,  the official reference point for measuring elevation above sea level in Spain. As you climb the staircase, you’ll pass various artworks, including a replica of the famous Lady of Elche, whose original is in Madrid’s archaeological museum. You’ll also find the Portrait Room, which displays all the former mayors of Alicante. Then there’s the Blue Room, which served as Queen Isabella II’s royal chamber in 1858, as well as a small side chapel where Mass could be celebrated thanks to a papal bull. If you continue your visit, you’ll reach the plenary hall where the city council meets. Rich in detail and full of surprises, this elegant building is well worth exploring, so if the door’s open, go on in!