“On October 12th, having left Alicante and traveled over a barren and formerly very dangerous plain because of Saracen assaults, riding two more leagues, we arrived afterwards at another flat and fertile area, watered by rivers, to the town of Elche, which is equivalent in Latin to "mixed" or "hermaphrodite," because it is situated between the frontiers of Granada and Valencia, partly favored by the Christians, partly by the Saracens. Never before today on that road have I seen so many palm trees, whose dates, although they are just ripening now, are not as sweet as African ones, because this region is cooler. Oh, how fertile is this town! Both Christians and many Saracens live here.
The 13th of October, after riding four leagues through a barren plain, and certain Saracen towns, after five leagues we arrived at Orihuela, in a fertile land abundant with water. It is a large city of five thousand houses, situated at the foot of a mountain towards the south. On the highest part of the mountain there is a superb castle. It is a royal city and is eleven short leagues from Cartagena, a maritime city founded in olden times by Hannibal the African, which he named "New Carthage." It is presently in ruins and it has become just a small town, like many others. Orihuela, as I have said, is large and watered by the Segura River, which flows through Murcia into Castile. It is on the limits of the realm of Valencia. Those who leave the city immediately enter the realm of Castile. The region of Orihuela is fruitful and flat, abundant in dates, figs and other noble fruits of that region. Everyone there is Christian.”
What Münzer Saw on the Road to Murcia:
Munzer saw the famous date-palm groves in Elche, which were over two thousand years old when he visited (they were supposedly introduced to this area by the Carthaginians).
Orihuela, which was a large royal city in the 1490’s, has diminished considerably in importance. Remains of its fortress still exist above the town. And the coat of arms of Fernando and Isabel still grace the partly 15th century portal of its church of Santiago.
What Münzer never saw (5/29/2011):
Orihuela, then double the size of Alicante, is now less than half as big (the anti-regime protesters here were just a few). Seaside location has trumped an inland city. Elche is bigger than Orihuela as well, and its famous date palm groves are now landscaped into a park setting, replete with paths, play areas and a large restaurant. It’s now a major shoe manufacturing center. The further south along the Mediterranean coast you go, the more the presence of both old and new Islamic culture can be sensed—both north African and interior African.
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