Local History
This is a re-write of a post from October 2025 with more photos and information added
As part of our attempts to create a life here in Spain, we joined a walking group based in our local town San Vicente del Raspeig - Senderisme San Vicent. Now Debbie and I are the only British people in the group (there are a couple of French too), but most people in the group only speak some English - in fact most prefer to speak Valencian rather than Castilian also! But we have over the last two and half years learned enough Castilian Spanish that we can now have short conversations and generally make ourselves understood and understand a lot of what is being said also - except the Valenciano which is still a mystery đ
One of the groups walks is about 14km down the valley from San Vicente Fire Station winding down past the special forces base at Rabassa (Alférez Rojas Navarrete) to Alicante Cemetery and back.
Rabassa has been a military base since before the civil war and the route took us past a couple of observation bunkers which were positioned to cover the aproaches to both the base and airfield (where the university is today)
First view of bunker 1 silhouetted in front of Alicante
Rear approach and view
View from the roof
Inside, just a simple circular position with roof, but there is cover under the lip to duck down into
Rear entrance
Bunker 2 from bunker 1
Bunker 2 approach
Bunker 1 from bunker 2
Inside similar to bunker 1 except the emplacement is a pipe with one access point and the main body is hollow allowing the occupant to duck into it
rear access
views from the roof
View through the bunker looking towards the coast
Bunker 1 from below the escarpment
Bunker 2 from below
both bunkers from down in the valley (bunker 1 just visible on the far left)
Alicante Cemetery
Grave of Miguel HernĂĄndez
Born in the town of Orihuela south of Alicante on 30 October 1910. A poet and playwright, who during the Spanish Civil War, actively defended the Second Republic with his combative and social poetry, from which iconic works such as "Viento del pueblo" were formed.
At the end of the war, he attempted to cross the border, but was detained and sentenced to death (later commuted to prison). Seriously ill with tuberculosis in the Alicante prison, he died on March 28, 1942, at the age of 31, leaving an immortal legacy like the "Nanas de la cebolla".
For those of you who visit Alicante you will note the airport has been renamed in his honour.
Grave of Admiral Julio Guillen Tato 1897 - 1972
Born in Alicante 5 August 1897
Joined the navy in 1913 served on serveral ships of the line: Cruiser Reina Regente, Battleship Alfonso XIII, Cruiser Emperor Charles V, Battleship Espana, Destroyer Osado. Entered the Naval Aeronautics School in 1921 and from there served on the seaplane tender Dedalo, from whom he flew the airsjip Vicentico over Alicante. Served as an observer during the Rif War under the command of Alfredo Kindelan (future commander of the nationalist airforces). At the start of the Civil War he was imprisoned by the Republican Government as suspect and dismissed from the navy, he took shelter in the Polish Embassy and eventually made it to Portugal, but Francoist authorities considered him suspect too and did not reinstate him. Eventually in 1941 he was reinstated to the navy and eventually served as Director of the Naval Museum until his death in 1972.
Memorial
for The Boné
Rebellion
The Boné Rebellion was
an uprising that took place in Alicante, from January 28 to
March 9, 1844, against the liberal
government of Gonzalez Bravo,
which had been formed at the end of 1843 after the fall
of Espartero`s Regency in
July of that year. The rebellion, led by cavalry colonel
and commander of
the Carabineros (national police), Pantaleon Bone, consisted of a popular uprising of progressive liberal citizens
who demanded a series of political, economic, and social improvements
in response to the return to power of the moderates.
Boné arrived in Alicante at the end of January 1844 and took control of the city and nearby towns. The rebellion was brutally supressed and Boné along with many of his officers and co-conspiritors were executed by firing squad.
Grave stone of a child killed during the bombing of the Alicante on 25th May 1938 đ
Memeorial to those killed in Alicante and buried in this mass grave
It should be noted this memorial is double sided with several hundred names inscribed along with the date of their deaths - everyone after the end of the Civil War 1939-45!
Memorial stone listing persons known to have been executed by the Nationalists
Memorial on the mass grave
The Army Airmobile Force (Spanish: Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra, FAMET), the army aviation branch of the Spanish Army, have been buzzing about all day today.
A couple of Super-Pumas with a Chinhook buzzed us virtually all day, several times single helos of one type or the other flew over and there was even a pair of Tiger attack helos!
I`m guessing there was a major training exercise to do with the Special Operations Command (Mando de Operaciones Especiales) or MOE possibly including the military range which is at the far end of the Agost valley.
