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South Coast Route
The South Coast route links the ancient Iberian and Roman city of Allon with the Malladeta sanctuary, occupied between approximately 350 BC and 75-80 AD, already in the midst of the Roman Empire. Halfway along it there is a singular landmark, a section of the Roman road that connected Allon…
A place full of magic – Iberian and Roman sanctuary of La Malladeta (panel 44)
Here there was an Iberian shrine built in the 4th c. BC. Looking at the figurines and incense-burners representing the Mother Goddess (the Tanit of the Carthaginians), it is likely it was dedicated to her. By 100 BC there was a major reform that swept the former remains in order to build rows of rooms on terraces. The French-Spanish excavation project (René Maison Ginouvès-City of Villajoyosa-Alicante University) uncovered 9 rooms from these times on the eastern slope (in front of you) and another 5 in the west, although much more of the site remains to be excavated.
At the beginning of the Roman Empire (circa 25 BC) these rooms were abandoned, but at the top of the hill, it continued to be some kind of temple, where you can now see the 19th century tower. The sanctuary was completely abandoned around 80 AD, and for certain, the cult was moved to the new forum for the city, which had just been declared municipium by Emperor Vespasian.
Photo: Archaeoastronomical observation
As in other Iberian sanctuaries, every equinox (around 21st-22nd of March and September) sunrise could be seen from the top (where today you can see the tower) with the sun rising from a special place: the Benidorm island. This phenomenon, at which we invite you to be present, was used to calculate the beginning of the agricultural year, which was vital for survival.
