Javea /Xabia.
Historical Information
This area was first inhabited in prehistoric time, 30,000 years ago by cave dwellers on Montgo. Subsequent residents have included Stone-age,
Romans, Greeks, Phoenicians, Visigoths, Germanic, Carthaginians, Moors, Bronze-age peoples.....
Tread softly for...You are walking on history!
WALKING ON HISTORY
..... by SYLVIA A. MATHESON
(Notes from a talk given to the Anglo-Spanish Society of Jávea in 1996)
What a remarkable area we've chosen to live in!
Whether we're walking in the port or the Arenal, shopping in the pueblo's narrow streets, wandering around Montgó, up on the Balcon
del Mar or La Plana, on Cabo San Antonio with its Palaeolithic caves: or along La Plana, gardening in Adsubia or playing Golf at Lluca,
treading over 3rd and 2nd century Iberian and Roman settlements, virtually wherever we tread we're bound to be tracing footprints of past
inhabitants.
Montgó's prehistoric cave dwellers and hunters dating from at least 30,000 years ago, and its paintings in Migdia cave are well-enough
known. Its slopes have certainly yielded evidence of the ancient past to many local residents whether collecting Stone-Age handaxes and
flints, Roman pottery or Muslim ceramics. If you are among those who gather the wild herbs still struggling to survive amid ever-increasing
construction, just think of the Moorish Caliph Abd ur Rahman the Third who, 1000 years ago, at the beginning of the 10th century, made
a special journey from Cordoba to collect over a hundred medicinal herbs from the slopes of our Montgó.
Whether we're walking in the port or the Arenal, shopping in the pueblo's narrow streets, wandering around Montgó, up on the Balcon
del Mar or La Plana, on Cabo San Antonio with its Palaeolithic caves: or along La Plana, gardening in Adsubia or playing Golf at Lluca,
treading over 3rd and 2nd century Iberian and Roman settlements, virtually wherever we tread we're bound to be tracing footprints of past
inhabitants.
Montgó's prehistoric cave dwellers and hunters dating from at least 30,000 years ago, and its paintings in Migdia cave are well-enough
known. Its slopes have certainly yielded evidence of the ancient past to many local residents whether collecting Stone-Age handaxes and
flints, Roman pottery or Muslim ceramics. If you are among those who gather the wild herbs still struggling to survive amid ever-increasing
construction, just think of the Moorish Caliph Abd ur Rahman the Third who, 1000 years ago, at the beginning of the 10th century, made
a special journey from Cordoba to collect over a hundred medicinal herbs from the slopes of our Montgó.
The slopes of Montgó, the tops of surrounding hills and the valley itself, all tell of the earliest known Neolithic settlements
in the Western Mediterranean, where men developed agriculture and domesticated animals from around 3000 BC and into the Valencian Bronze
Age between 1900 and 500 BC. In our Museum you can see Iberian beads, shards of decorated pottery, stone axes and pestle and mortars found
all around us, including from a fox's burrow dig into the hill crowned by the Santa Lucia Ermita, and which revealed a Bronze Age and
Roman Village.
A few years ago there was a plan to build a radio or TV tower at the Western (Jesus Pobre) end of Montgó, and a road was begun
leading from near the enclave of Los Lagos.
Fortunately the scheme was abandoned, but not before it had cut right through the stone dwellings of an Iberian settlement.
And I was told that in all probability our charming little 14th century Ermita de Popol on the Jesus Pobre road, is most likely on a very
ancient sacred site, possibly built over an underground stream as were many religious buildings.
Visigoths were here too. In the 6th century AD. Christian Visigoth monks whose ancestors had accompanied the troops sent to battle in
North Africa, came across to Javea and founded the monastery of San Martin, now disappeared but which probably gave its name to the Cabo
San Martin. Here Hermangildo, son of the Visigoth king Leogevild of Toledo, sought refuge in the Monastery after angering his father by
marrying a Christian girl. When his father's troops arrived to arrest him all but one ancient monk fled to Portichol - but Hermengild
and the old monk were killed. You'll find a number of Javiense with Visigoth names even today.
It's sad to think of the hundreds of new dwellings- or old fincas pulled down - whose foundations have been laid in desperate haste to
conceal the many Roman villas that once lined our roads, particularly the old Cabanas road. and down near Arenal.
They used to say in Iran that wherever you went, you couldn't put in a spade without pulling out a "plum" - archaeologically
speaking. And almost the same applies to Jávea except that much has been lost or is still covered by buildings. Just consider,
as you make your way into the Centro de Salud, that under the impressive new Central Cultural going up by its side, Iberian artifacts
have been found here too, and our overworked archaeologists tell me that if and when sufficient funds are forthcoming to hire student
workers-, they hope to carry out some exploratory excavations on the adjacent land.
But almost every week when you go into the pueblo, somebody, somewhere is tearing down one of the old houses. During the last few months,
a dilapidated village house in the angle of Santa Marta, leading off the Church Square, was pulled down and in the brief period given
the archaeologists to examine the site, they made an astonishing discovery- The foundations of the 17th - 18th century house had been
built right on top of a 3000 year old Bronze Age farming site, thus preserving the remains of two cabins and several silos!
And in San Bartholome. The next street, facing the church, another house has been demolished to reveal relicsof a 14th. century dwelling
with a cistern, well and various ceramics and coins.
Come to that, do you remember when the police station, then part of the Ayuntamiento was moved to its purpose-built location opposite
the car park, in 1994(?) The intention was to open a tourist office in the old premises, part of the Ayuntamiento, and renovations included
relaying the floor. But what did they find? Fourteenth century graves- some with several skeletons added later, all of the first Christians
to repopulate Jávea after the long Muslim occupation- The cemetery was in use for another two hundred years and archaeologists
found the remains of what appeared to have been a high, fortified tower and the later, smaller, 17th century chapel of the Desamparados.
Making use of some of this material the original Ayuntamiento was built over them in 1774.
Fortunately several of the rock-cut graves - without their skeleton inmates which have been removed to the nearby Museum - have been
preserved and can be seen under the glass floor as you enter what is one of the Ayuntamiento's offices.
Go down to the port and as you sip your coffee on the pedestrian precinct of Andres Lambert, recall that only a year or two ago when
a couple of fishermen's cottages were being demolished, the archaeologists, who were again given only two weeks to explore, discovered
the massive foundations of an early Roman building, the major portion of which lies under the paving.
A datable lead weight used by Roman fishing boats, put back Roman occupation of Jávea to the 2nd century BC, making ours the oldest
known Roman site on the coast with a commercial port for fish and minerals. And of course you know about the important Roman fish factory
under the Parader, and the nearby cemetery, probably the largest in the province, part of which lies under the recently built "Alkazaba
holiday apartments.
The late Solar Blasco, that fine artist who painted the triptich (now divided) over the Ermita de Popol's altar, and who was also our
Alcalde, greatly concerned about Jávea's past, showed me many Roman and Iberian sites already lost or being covered by apartments
along the coast. He pointed out the remnants of a Roman theatre, now disappeared, on the slopes of Montgó overlooking the main
Valencia road, and a temple site by the Arenal's Canal de la Fontana, among many other relics of Jávea's ancient past.
There is little left of the Moors but some inscribed gravestones and ceramics, although they were here from about 714AD until the last
were expelled from Jávea and Denia in 1609. Most were farmers, cultivating and terracing the land but undoubtedly there are remains
hidden beneath many buildings and wooded areas.
Not long ago I watched the excavation of an 11th - 13th century Moorish fortified farm among the wooded slopes of Capsades, with tower
walls standing a metre or more high, bread ovens, storage silos and courtyards. I was told a new urbanization was to be built here but
that they hoped the Moorish site would be developed as an attractive feature. An imaginative idea and I hope it comes off.
Well, walk where you will in the valley, town or hills, you can be sure of one thing, you are walking on history.
Spain's national hotels, known as the Paradores, are located throughout Spain.
They are typically rebuilt monuments such as Castles and Monestaries.
They truly provide you the opportunity to stay and dine in exceptional surroundings from centuries gone by and often display incredible
views.
There is a more modern Parador on the sea in Javea that sports a good restaurant.
Restaurants
Tried and True Variety along the Costa Blanca
Oli Garum- Superb & No.1 Renault guide Restaurant with French chef. In Javea port, up steps Beside the Bar EL clavo at top to the
right. 7-course menu-gastronomique Javea's No. 1 Holiday treat Tel 96 646 1714
Corral del Pato - Our favourite outside of Gata on Lliber-Jalon road. Very good catalan cuisine with popular menu; amazing roast leg
of lamb, oxen and duck! Eat in or outside under huge carob trees.
Recommended/must book Tel 96 575 68 34 Local Jalon wine by pitchers Except Mon
La Boheme (& Los Remos) - Are the two best restaurants at the arenal. french owned/fine tapas. Consistently good reports. By Parador
end of promenade Tel. 96 679 1600 Xcept Wed
Drassanes - near Denia is one of the best fish restaurants. Excellent "memu Gastronomique" . Denia harbour front, end of palm
treed avenue north of roundabout Tel 96 578 1118 Xcept Mon
Calpe harbor - is quite the best place for fish: any restaurant will entice you in with marvelous displays of fresh fish. There is nothing
like this anywhere else nearby. Strongly recommended.
Austrian Cafe Wien (& bakery)at arenal beach. Excellent bread, pastries and croissants (a favorite place for breakfast). Tel. 96
579 3804 Xcept Wed
Javea arenal lined with many exotic restaurants and bars.
Negros - Excellent pizzas, pasta & family fare. Good service/value (& takeaway service). On rocky beach front, just before bridge
as Javea port approaches
Mena - On rocks at end of Las Rotas road (over Montrgo-Denia rd, hard right at bottom roundabout Tel 96 578 0943
Piripi - Excellent/imaginative copious "Tapas": on new pedestrian Javea port sea-front. No bookings, but worth the wait. Probably
the most frequented by us for food and scenery Xcept Sun-pm & Mon
Azorin - Javea Port (in street behind Napoli Pizza and Piripi) Super Fish & Chips (&chicken), great for kids! Order a paella
or fidejua ahead of time Tel. 96 659 4495
Montgo - 2 to 3 Kms on Javea -Jesus Probre road on left with large patio below Montgo) Amazing value, quantity, quality & well presented.
Praised for world's best fish & chips! Tel. 96 579 5020
El Clavo - classic Spanish fisherman's restaurant we've frequented for 25 years. Fresh seafood and good values. Menu on wall only! Right
on sea near fishing docks.
Highly Recommended that we plan to try
Girasol ** The "hautest' cuisine on offer! A Michelin two star. On the Moraira-Calpe coast road on the right about 1.5 km south
of Moraira Tel 96 574 4373 Xcept Mon
Cabo de la Nao - on the cliff next to the lighthouse Fantastic views and good food. Tel 96 577 1835
La Chaca - 5 years with Michelin star, Belgian establishment excellent quality, good prices. Approx. 4 km down coast from Moraira. Must
book. Tel/fax 96 574 7706 Xcept Mon
Chez Angel - French brasserie, Very good, well priced fixed menu. Among shops close to Humpty Dumpt, on Arenal main road on right, after
traffic light Tel 96 579 2723 Xcept Tue
L'Escut - French style cuisine, good service, fine ambiance La Nao Rd., on R. past Tocsomar. Tel 96 577 0507 Xcept Tues
Javea port
Gota de Mar - French/Italian cuisine; Delightful poolside terrace. Cabo La Nao road on right after El Rancho Tel 96 577 1648 Xcept Wed
La Rustica - Very good cuisine, Belgian owned. Camino Cabanes - take small road down side of Barclays Bank, right at cross roads; it's
along on the left Tel 96 577 0855 Xcept Mon
Shadi - Lebanese - be adventurous! Cabo La Nina in Calpe(close to fountain by dry river bed) Tel 96 583 6464
Al Zaroq - Lebanese - on the N332, S. of Benissa (on RH bend just before the Venta de Chata Hotel. Delightful ambiance and really excellent.
Rather expensive Tel 96 573 1615
La Giralda - C/A Lambert 7 (pedestrian area in port). Moroccan owners. Ask for their Moroccan dishes (lamb delicious. Recommended; good
service & reasonable prices. Tel 96 646 0439
Mercadillos - Open air markets usually can be found at major towns on a weekly schedule. In this area you should plan on getting to these
markets for fresh foods and barter for goods each week.
Local Favorites:
Monday - Denia
Tuesday - Altea
Thursday - Javea
Friday - Moraira
Saturday - Calpe
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