{"id":16,"date":"2016-11-11T12:11:56","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T12:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memoriadearena.es\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2026-05-19T10:19:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T09:19:26","slug":"moncayo","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/memoriadearena.es\/en\/moncayo\/","title":{"rendered":"3 – Montcaio Hill – Torre del Descargador"},"content":{"rendered":"

https:\/\/memoriadearena.es\/audio\/04-en-moncayo.mp3<\/p>\n

On El Moncaio<\/strong> beach, just three kilometres south of the town of Guardamar del
\nSegura, lies an outstanding archaeological site that spans more than a thousand years of
\nhistory. Only a few steps from the sea stand two closely connected landmarks: The
\nRoman Villa of Moncaio<\/strong> and the Torre del Descarregador<\/strong>, an Andalusi coastal
\nfortification. Excavations at both locations reveal a long Roman occupation followed by
\na medieval Islamic phase.<\/p>\n

The earliest settlement was a rural Roman villa<\/strong>, occupied from at least the 1st to the
\n5th centuries AD, probably devoted to farming and the use of marine resources.
\nRemains include a large water cistern, a courtyard with side rooms, sturdy masonry
\nwalls and a lime kiln. Its layout is striking: a complex, axial plan of square rooms
\naligned along a broad corridor facing the sea, ending in two spacious apsidal<\/strong>
\nchambers<\/strong> typical of 4th-century villas, designed for receptions and social gatherings.<\/p>\n

After a period of abandonment and spoliation, a small rural mosque<\/strong> was built here in
\nthe 10th century, its mihrab carefully oriented toward Mecca to serve a scattered
\nMuslim population along the coast.<\/p>\n

About 140 metres to the north rises the Torre del Descarregador (10th\u201311th
\ncenturies), constructed directly over Roman foundations. With a rectangular footprint,
\nrammed-earth walls, a tripartite interior and a single protected entrance, the tower
\nserved a dual purpose: coastal watchtower and storage facility<\/strong> for fish, salt and dry-
\nfarmed produce. From this commanding position it offered sweeping views from Cape
\nSanta Pola to Torrevieja. After its abandonment, it saw occasional reuse in later
\ncenturies.<\/p>\n

Together, the Moncaio villa and the Torre del Descarregador illustrate the continuity of<\/strong>
\ncoastal settlement<\/strong>\u2014a landscape that evolved from Roman estate to Islamic stronghold,
\nmirroring the political, economic and environmental transformations of the western
\nMediterranean.<\/p>\n

Marq Alicante<\/a><\/p>\n