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The Ayuntamiento, the town hall of Alicante, is a fine example of eighteenth-century Spanish Baroque, its elegant facade framed by two tall towers and richly carved around its main doorway. Within are a grand staircase and ceremonial halls, including the blue hall where civic receptions are held. But the building's most surprising feature is hidden on the first step of the staircase inside, by one account, or marked at the building: it holds the official benchmark known as the cota cero, the zero point, from which the altitude above sea level of every single place in mainland Spain is calculated. When a map tells you that Madrid sits at 650 metres or a mountain rises to 3,000 metres, that height is measured, ultimately, from this exact spot in Alicante, chosen because the Mediterranean here is particularly calm and stable. It is a quiet, unassuming claim to national importance.
Fatti principali
- 18 century — The Baroque town hall was built in the eighteenth century
- 0 metres — It holds Spain's altitude benchmark, the cota cero, from which all heights are measured
- 2 towers — Twin towers frame the ornate Baroque facade
📍 Passatge Segon Pòrtic Consistorial, 03002, Alacant / Alicante