The traveller finds Orihuela, opening before his eyes the fusion of a natural and urban landscape that has been conditioned by its history. Governorate since 1366 (second most important in the Kingdom of Valencia) with the rank of city since 1437. A bishopric since 1566 and a university since 1568, these are elements that have conditioned its urban physiognomy, in which the churches and palaces leave a record of its historical past, housing five national monuments (Cathedral, Santa Justa y Rufina, Santiago, Santo Domingo and the Episcopal Palace) and other tangible and intangible assets of cultural interest. Its old town was declared a Historic and Monumental Site in 1969.

You can enjoy its museums, including "The Temptation of Saint Thomas" by Velázquez, "The She-Devil or Triumph of the Cross" by Nicolás de Bussy, and "The Wall" in which seventy meters of it are preserved. with Arab baths and remains of Gothic buildings.

Antonio Luis Galiano
Chronicler of the City of Orihuela