The genesis of the seafronts: the case of the urban maritime façade of Alicante

Abstract

The definition, sequential and structured, of the different circumstances that have given rise to the promenades that today shape the urban maritime façade of Alicante is the main objective of this article. Although seafronts are today the reference landmarks of our coastal cities, eminently tourist, the literature in this regard is scarce. The results of this study will contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of its genesis, as urban fragments in relation to the history and development of the rest of the city, as well as contribute a greater knowledge of the problems of its structuring and the important role they play in the immediate future of the city. In order to understand the process of shaping littoral promenades, it is necessary to study the evolution of the seafront and its environment, as well as the historical, social, cultural and political events that have influenced its transformation. This is an investigation in which, through the detailed study of each of the elements that make up the coastal façade, the morphological changes experienced by it are analysed, according to the variable function that it has played over time. The predominant role of the Alicante maritime façade for centuries was defensive, simultaneously serving as a frame to the port. In the nineteenth century, with the arrival of the railway, the rise of the sea baths and the demolition of the walls, the defence function was replaced by the playful-representative one that, although with modifications, remains to this day.