The Castle of Denia

Originally built during the 11th Century by the Arabs, it now houses The Archaeological Museum which tells the history of Denia from around 200 BC. The Castle (Castillo) of Denia is located at the top of a hill in the centre of the town.

This much restored castle has remains from several historical periods, including Muslim portico and towers, and walls from the 14th Century old palace. By the end of the 19th Century, the castle was no longer used for defensive purposes and became privately owned. The terraces around it were used for the production of raisins, shipped from the port of Denia to England and other European countries. From the hill is a great view of the city of Denia and its coast.

The Archaeological museum is located in two rooms known as "the Palace of the Governor".  Both are remains of the Islamic palace situated at top of the castle. It was built in the XVII century and its architecture is Renaissance. The facade is facing east, with one of the rooms dug out of the rock, and with a 190 square meters area approximately. Its restoration was finished in 1984, after a long deterioration and abandonment period started in the War of Succession (1708).

The Museum, its origin and its history.
The archaeological museum of Denia was established in 1957 by a proposal of the City Town Hall, due to the availability of a showroom in the Torre del Consell in the castle of Denia. With the granting of archaeological funds restoration work started in the castle in order to exhibit the finds. In 1982, a start was made to catalogue and record the existing patrimony of the Museum; and from 1983 a period of archaeological activity started in town as well as several urgent excavations in the surrounding district.

                                          The Museum of Ethnology

The Museum of Ethnology of Denia is located in a 19th Century house, and many of the objects exhibited in the museum are from this period. The raisin industry which was the port of Denia`s main export for over one hundred years, is presented ground floor of the museum and covers cultivation, processing and export.

On the other floors are paintings by Francisco Dassi, clothing, jewelery, instruments and a maritime commerce exhibition. 

Denia Toy Museum