Cronología
500 years of history.60 days to destroy it.
Linear timeline
A complete timeline, without gaps
All milestones have been reorganised into a single chronological sequence, from the street’s historic origins to the latest legal, heritage and mobility developments.
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3rd c. BC
Historical context
Lucentum (Tossal de Manises)
Roman origin of Alicante. The Ibero-Roman city of Lucentum, on today's Tossal de Manises (Albufereta), shapes the settlement of the Camp d'Alacant and the future Huerta where Sant Joan will be born.
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8th c.
Historical context
Al-Laqant: Benialí is born.
Under Muslim rule, the Huerta of Alicante is organised into alquerías and rahales. Benialí — today's Sant Joan — is one of those alquerías, tied to the irrigation network watering the plain.
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16th–18th c.
Historical context
Fondillón wine and the Huerta of Alicante
The Huerta enjoys its golden age: Fondillón wine — made from Monastrell — is exported to European courts. Sant Joan, Mutxamel and El Campello form the wine and horticultural heart of the Kingdom.
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~1244
Historical context
Benialí
Original Islamic name of the village before the Christian conquest. The toponymy preserves its Andalusi heritage.
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1296–1304
Historical context
Joining the Kingdom of Valencia
James II of Aragon conquers Alicante (1296) and, after the Arbitration Sentence of Torrellas (1304), the territory is definitively incorporated into the Kingdom of Valencia. Benialí stays within the general term of Alicante.
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~1510
Historical context
Origin of Calle San José
First houses rise around the old path to the orchard. Over 500 years of living history.
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16th c.
Historical context
Hijuela de Mingot
Documented arm of the irrigation network running beneath the Quijote 12 plot. Living hydraulic heritage.
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16th c.
Historical context
Parish of Saint John the Baptist
The consolidation of the parish of Saint John the Baptist gives the village its name: from Benialí to Sant Joan. The church becomes the backbone of the old town, next to Calle San José.
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1580–1594
Historical context
Building of the Tibi Dam
One of Europe's oldest hydraulic works still standing. The irrigation network — including the Hijuela de Mingot — is part of this historic system.
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1882–1900
Historical context
Phylloxera and the Fondillón crisis
The phylloxera plague wipes out the Alicante vineyard. The Huerta shifts to vegetables, almonds and citrus, but Fondillón — the Mediterranean wine emblem — nearly disappears.
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1609
Historical context
Expulsion of the Moriscos
The expulsion depopulates much of the Huerta and forces a reorganisation of farm labour. Many alquerías stand empty; the hydraulic system, however, survives.
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1709
Historical context
Sant Joan, independent municipality
After the War of the Spanish Succession and the Nueva Planta Decrees, Sant Joan d'Alacant is recognised as a municipality with its own jurisdiction, separated from the general term of Alicante.
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19th c.
Historical context
Manor houses of the Huerta
Sant Joan fills with country estates and manor houses (Finca Abril, Princesa Sofía, Lo Lirio, El Salt…) tied to the Alicante bourgeoisie. The Huerta consolidates as a Mediterranean cultural landscape.
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1936–1939
Historical context
Civil War and post-war
The port of Alicante is the scene of the symbolic end of the war. Sant Joan, as a rear-guard village, has its everyday life transformed. The post-war freezes the Huerta and its heritage for decades.
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1960–1980
Historical context
Tourist boom and urbanising pressure
The tourist explosion of the Costa Blanca and the growth of Alicante progressively devour the Huerta. Alquerías, irrigation channels and farmland are lost. Sant Joan's old town holds on as the identity core.
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2004
Urbanism
PRI Madre Elisenda
Execution of the «Madre Elisenda» Inner Reform Plan creates a new plot behind the patios of Calle San José. This plot will be the origin of the entire later urban conflict.
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2009
The pine trees
«Residencial El Racó» project
A development is planned on the same plot (Quijote 12). The two pines now deemed «irreplaceable» already existed and the Town Hall raised no objection to felling them. In 2009, felling these pines was perfectly acceptable.
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2013
MP25 process
Approval of the current PGOU
The General Urban Plan is approved. It includes the pedestrianisation of Calle San José as a priority action to preserve the historic environment, minimise traffic vibration and regenerate the old town. It does not specially protect the two pines on the plot. The pedestrianisation pledge is broken year after year.
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30 November 2017
Municipal technical report
The municipal architect warns of the impact of heavy traffic on the historic core
The Municipal Architect issues a technical report on the impact of heavy vehicles passing through Calle San José and Calle Mayor, referring to vibrations, noise, micro-cracks and deterioration of the historic setting.
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2021–2024
MP25 process
PMUS: another broken promise
The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS) is drafted and approved by a renowned firm. It again concludes that Calle San José must be pedestrianised. It is not executed either.
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2024
The pine trees
Two centenarian pines felled in a public park
The Town Hall itself fells two centenarian pines of the same species and size in a public park, barely 2 metres from the Quijote 12 plot. With no protection mechanism activated. With no media noise. Today they portray these as irreplaceable.
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Feb 2024
The neighbours
Residents Association formed
The Calle San José Residents Association is formalised to defend the Old Town heritage, demand compliance with the pedestrianisation pledge and coordinate the neighbourhood response.
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Jun 2025
MP25 process
Publication for environmental approval
Partial Modification 25 is drafted and published for environmental approval. Public exhibition during summer, when public participation is at its lowest.
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Oct 2025
Urbanism
Marketing of the development including penthouses not yet approved
Without the modification being final and without the objections being resolved, the Terral2 development (terral2santjoan.com) is already being marketed, including penthouses that, under current regulations, would not be contemplated.
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17 Apr 2025
MP25 process
Decree 2025-1417: urban guarantee certificate
The developer obtains the urban guarantee certificate (Decree 2025-1417). This is the trigger of Modification 25. Only one month passes between MP21 (March) and the developer's request (April).
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14 Apr 2025
MP25 process
Technical report on urban classification
The Town Hall issues a technical report on the urban classification of the Quijote 12 plot. The express processing begins.
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29 Dec 2025
Urbanism
Final approval of Modification 21
MP21 is finally approved, confirming PB+2 in the ACA zone, with no penthouse and no special protection for the pines. No change to the boundary of the historic centre. The contradiction with MP25, opened in parallel, is absolute. Legitimate neighbour expectation betrayed within weeks.
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Mar 2025
Urbanism
Modification 21: PB+2 confirmed
Partial Modification 21 of the PGOU is promoted and published, reinforcing the maximum buildability in the ACA zone (Old Town Extension): Ground Floor + 2 storeys. No penthouse. No special protection for the pines.
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Apr–May 2025
The pine trees
Clarification on the trees
The certificate is clarified regarding the trees on the plot. The pines start to become the «justification» for the modification.
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14 May 2025
MP25 process
MP25 plans finalised
The Modification 25 plans are finalised (CSV G95ZPYQ9GSDKMSLJSQDHY54LT).
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Jan 2026
MP25 process
Modification 25 opens
MP25 begins its processing under the stated justification of preserving two pines. Public consultation in just 60 days; the Association questions whether all mandatory reports are on file.
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Feb 2026
The pine trees
Transplant of the Santa Faz hackberry
The Town Hall transplants a catalogued centenarian hackberry, 14 metres tall and 160 years old, to make another ~65-home development viable. Without modifying the PGOU. Without granting penthouses. The least burdensome and most logical solution. Why not apply the same criterion to the pines of Quijote 12?
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Feb 2026
The pine trees
The two pines as a justification
According to the Association, the pines are not catalogued or protected. The argument of preserving them is used to support raising the building from PB+2 (3 storeys) to PB+2+penthouse (4 storeys).
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Mar 2026
MP25 process
15 neighbour objections
The Association files 15 legal-technical objections within deadline.
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Mar 2026
The neighbours
Petition to the Síndic de Greuges
The case is escalated to the regional ombudsman: opacity, missing reports, BRL boundary reduction.
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April 2026
Transparency
Request for access to file 6004/2025
Affected residents formally request access from the Town Council to municipal file 6004/2025, related to vibrations, heavy traffic and possible structural impacts on homes in the area.
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April 2026
Public participation
Threats of legal action and burofax letters to silence the campaign
The association receives warnings of legal action and burofax letters from one affected party, in a context of growing neighbourhood pressure and public participation over MP25 and the future of the historic core.
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05 May 2026
CV-207 transport
Public consultation on the CV-207 Alacant Metropolità tender
The Generalitat Valenciana opens public consultation on the CV-207 “Alacant Metropolità” project, reorganising metropolitan transport and maintaining residents’ concern about buses passing through the historic core.
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May 2026
Transparency
The Town Council requires directly affected residents to prove “legitimate interest” in file 6004/2025
The Town Council asks directly affected residents to prove their legitimate interest in order to access file 6004/2025, despite being owners and residents potentially affected by vibrations and damage.
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15 May 2026
Update
Residents gain access to file 6004/2025 and the architect’s report
After access requests, residents gain access to the file and the municipal architect’s technical report.
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18 May 2026
Update
Residents announce the hiring of an expert following the seriousness of the municipal report
Following the content of the municipal architect’s report, the association announces the hiring of a specialised expert. The news is covered by Alicante Plaza.
View document → -
20 May 2026
Update
The Mobility Councillor announces the relocation of the bus lines
The Mobility Councillor announces that the Town Council will change the route of the bus lines so that they no longer run through Calle San José.
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May 2026
Transparency
Complaint to the Transparency Council regarding MP25 documentation
The association files a complaint before the Transparency Council to obtain the full documentation of Specific Amendment No. 25.
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June 2026
June 2026
The association prepares an appeal over the full volume and blind wall
Following the Culture report, the association strengthens its position: the issue is not only the recessed penthouse, but the full volume of MP25 and the possible creation of a 15-metre-wide, 14.90-metre-high blind wall behind protected homes.
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1 June 2026
June 2026
Culture recognises heritage impact and requires a visual impact study
The Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage identifies MP25 as an action with NHT-BRL heritage impact and conditions the recessed penthouse floor on a visual impact study before licensing. The association files extended objections and considers this a new neighbourhood achievement.
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2026 →
The neighbours
Demand: pedestrianisation
Against MP25, the Association proposes pedestrianising the street and recovering Mediterranean public space.