Biar – Alicante
Biar is a municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is located in the interior of the province of Alicante, in the Alto Vinalopó region, at an altitude of 700 m. Its municipality covers an area of 98.17 km².
There is evidence of settlement in the area since prehistoric times, although the current nucleus arose during the Andalusian period. With the Christian conquest it passed to the Kingdom of Valencia under the Treaty of Almizra and had an important border role in conflicts with the Lordship of Villena and the rest of Castile. From the sixteenth century began a period of economic and demographic crisis that was not overcome until the mid-eighteenth century. Already in the twentieth century industries began to be installed, especially in the textile and footwear sector and today the economy is supported by the textile industry, the processing of plastic materials and a small number of printing industries, there is also the survival of a modest agricultural sector based mainly on the cultivation of olive trees and to a lesser extent of almond trees and small orchards; at present it is intended, by local authorities, to promote tourism and the service sector.
The municipality preserves an important historical site, consisting of its castle, the church of the Assumption, several chapels and other buildings, as well as the whole of its medieval quarter. It also preserves a large natural heritage, since half of its municipal area corresponds to forest mass, including several monumental trees.