Plaza del Ayuntamiento - Town Hall Square, Alicante

The Town Hall Square, in Alicante

The plaza del Ayuntamiento is the heart of the town centre of Alicante, dominated by the elegant baroque town hall of the eighteenth century. The Alicante audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this fine palace with a façade framed by two twin towers, that shelters the cota cero, the reference point of the altitudes of the whole of Spain, and a rich interior decoration.

The baroque town hall and the cota cero

Here you are in the very centre of Alicante, on the plaza del Ayuntamiento, the square of the town hall. The town hall is installed in a fine baroque palace, built between 1699 and 1780. Its main façade measures forty-nine metres wide and is framed by two twin towers, giving it a fine symmetrical appearance. Just beside the door, you can see a bust of Cervantes, to whom the town pays tribute on the occasion of the three centenaries of the publication of Don Quixote. Do not hesitate to go inside. You will discover there, on the pillar at the foot of the main staircase, the cota cero, that is to say the zero level: it is the reference point from which all the heights above sea level in Spain are measured! The staircase of honour, flanked by works of art, presents notably a copy of the Lady of Elche, whose original is kept at the archaeological museum of Madrid. You can also discover the hall of portraits, that gathers the effigies of all those who were one day mayors of the town. An official building and a place of civic memory, the town hall is also a true monument, witness of the prosperity of Alicante in the eighteenth century. A central square and a baroque palace, the Town Hall Square is a fine stop of the discovery of Alicante.

What to see

Here you admire the town hall of Alicante, a fine baroque palace built between 1699 and 1780, with a façade of forty-nine metres framed by two twin towers, with its bust of Cervantes; inside, the cota cero, the zero point of the altitudes of the whole of Spain, the staircase of honour adorned with a copy of the Lady of Elche and the hall of portraits of the mayors. The Town Hall Square is the heart of Alicante. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Town Hall Square lies in the very centre of Alicante, reachable on foot. It is a public square freely accessible; the town hall can be visited according to the hours and conditions of the municipality, which vary. It is best to enquire before entering. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

What is the cota cero of the town hall of Alicante?

It is the zero level, the reference point from which all the heights above sea level in Spain are measured; you discover it on the pillar at the foot of the main staircase of the town hall, a fine baroque palace built between 1699 and 1780, in the heart of Alicante.