Villena AV railway station

Villena (Spanish: [biˈʎena]; Valencian pronunciation: [viˈʎena]) is a city in Spain, in the Valencian Community. It is located at the northwest part of Alicante, and borders to the west with Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia, to the north with the province of Valencia and to the east and south with the province of Alicante. It is the capital of the comarca of the Alto Vinalopó. The municipality has an area of 345.6 km² and a population of 34,928 inhabitants as of INE 2008.There is evidence of settlement in the area from Middle Paleolithic. However, it is on dispute if the current city dates from visigothic times or before, though certainly it existed in the 11th century, during the Muslim period. After the Christian conquest, it became Seigneury, Principality, Duchy and finally Marquisate, until the people, encouraged by the Catholic Monarchs, revolted against the marquis. In 1525 Charles V conceded the title of City to Villena. This is the most economically prosperous period, as shown by the monuments that survived to nowadays. Although a railway station was inaugurated in 1858, economy kept being mainly agricultural until the rural exode that took place in the 1960s. Then, the economic model changed rapidly so that currently economy is based mainly on tertiary sector and industry, chiefly footwear, construction and furniture.The historical city and surroundings contain an important group of historical remains, including two castles and several churches, hermitages, palaces and squares, as well as a number of museums, standing out the Archaeological Museum "José María Soler". Among the main cultural events are the Moors and Christians festival and the Concurso de Jóvenes Intérpretes "Ruperto Chapí" (Young Interpreters Contest).

The Atalaya Castle (Spanish: Castillo de la Atalaya or Castillo de Villena, English: Castle of the Watch) is a fortress in Villena, province of Alicante, southern Spain. Located over a spur of the Sierra de la Villa, in the north-western part of the province of Alicante, it commands the former frontier between Castile and Kingdom of Aragon.

Alt Vinalopó (in Valencian, IPA: [ˈald vinaloˈpo]) or Alto Vinalopó (in Spanish, IPA: [ˈalto βinaloˈpo]) is a comarca in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain.

The Posición Yuste (English: Yuste Position) was the codename given to the location where the Government of the Spanish Republic was established shortly before the end of the Spanish Civil War. The government, presided over by Juan Negrín, was established there from 25 February to 6 March 1939. Its name alludes to the retirement of Charles I of Spain to the Monastery of Yuste in Extremadura. The position was located in the Province of Alicante, specifically in an estate in the town of Petrer known as El Poblet.

The Castle of Biar stands on a hillock overlooking the town of Biar, in the comarca of Alt Vinalopó (Valencian Community, Spain).

Vinalopó Mitjà (Spanish: Medio Vinalopó, lit. "Middle Vinalopó") is a comarca in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain.

The Estadio Municipal Nuevo Pepico Amat is a multi-use stadium located in Elda, Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain. It has a capacity of 5,776 and is currently used for football matches and is the home of CD Eldense.

The Xorret de Catí is a mountain in the Prebaetic System, southern Spain. It spans the province of Alicante. Xorret de Catí is open throughout the year.

Onil (Spanish and Valencian pronunciation: [oˈnil]) is a town located in the comarca of L'Alcoià, in the province of Alicante, Spain. It has an area of 48.41 km2 and, according to the 2006 census, a total population of 7466 inhabitants and a population density of 154.22 inhabitants/km2. Onil is located next to the mountain called Sierra de Onil in the Sierra de Mariola, 36 km from Alicante city. The economy of Onil is based on the industries of toy, construction and farming (almonds and olives). The most important monuments in Onil are the Palace-Fortress from the 16th century, which is the headquarters of the town council; the Catholic church of Santiago Apóstol (from the 17th-18th century) and the Hermitages of San Buenaventura (from the 17th century) and Santa Ana. The Moros y Cristianos festival of Onil is celebrated each April.

Novelda (Valencian: [noˈvɛlda], locally [nuˈvɛldɛ]; Spanish: [noˈβelda]) is a town located in the province of Alicante, Spain. As of 2009, it has a total population of 27,135 inhabitants. Novelda has important quarries and mines of marble, limestone, silica, clay and gypsum. It is a major centre of the marble industry. It was probably settled by Greeks, although it was controlled by Carthaginians, Romans and Al Andalus. Some centuries later it was conquered by a son of Ferdinand III of Castile. Places of tourist interest in Novelda include the monastery of Santa Maria Magdalena (dated from the 19th century), which has a church designed by a disciple of Antoni Gaudí, the Moorish castle of the Mola, with its unique triangular tower, and the Museum of Modernism. This is a well preserved art nouveau house with original artifacts from the 1920s. The house itself is a work of art. The House-Museum is located in a modernist building designed by Pedro Cerdan Martinez (1863-1947) and is now a centre for modernist research and promotion. There are also several natural and salty lakes to visit in the surroundings.

Monforte del Cid is a village in the province of Alicante and autonomous community of Valencia, Spain. The municipality covers an area of 79.5 square kilometres (30.7 sq mi) and as of 2011 had a population of 7,771 people.

Aspe (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈaspe], Valencian: Asp) is a town and municipality located in the comarca of Vinalopó Mitjà, in the province of Alicante, Spain. The town is located in the valley of the river Vinalopó, 25 km (16 mi) from Alicante city. The economy of Aspe is based on textile and footwear industries, as well as farming of vegetables and fruits. Aspe is also famous for growing a special kind of grape, which is eaten at the stroke of midnight, every New Year's Eve, all across Spain. The grapes are eaten one at a time, according to the clock striking 12, to signal the new year.Aspe has a small foreign population, mainly Dutch and English. The local Castilian dialect is known for dropping the "s" and seseo. Aspe has many traditions and during the summer large fiestas take place. Every other year La Virgen De Las Nieves, the patron of the town, comes to Aspe.