Julia Parra, Vice-President and Deputy for Culture, expressed pride in the achievements reached after a year of work. She noted that surpassing pre-pandemic visitor levels was challenging, yet the success stood as a testament to the dedication of the public and the strong interest in a high-caliber program. This program features renowned international fairs such as Gladiators and a broad array of educational and recreational cultural offerings produced by the MARQ team.
Over the twelve months, MARQ pursued several initiatives, including a traveling exhibition of state castles and a display titled Stone Guards. The tour visited Villena, Guardamar, Xixona, Orihuela, Crevillente, Calpe, La Vila, Cocentaina, Callosa, Monforte, Torrevieja, and Petrer, with Benidorm slated as the next stop for February 2023.
Other exhibitions
MARQ marked the 125th anniversary of the Lady of Elche with a traveling installation that celebrates its discovery in 1897. The piece, Lady of Elche, is presented in collaboration with the Royal Society, currently on display at the Elche Archaeology and History Museum and will remain part of the Orihuela Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, highlighting the roots of Christianity in the region.
In partnership with the Banco Sabadell Foundation, the Portuguese National Museum hosted an international exchange in 2022. The Noble Room of the MARQ Library hosted the Atlantic Warrior exhibition, a showcase of power symbols, from May 18 to October 23, featuring three Portuguese national treasures representing the Castreña culture, a tradition spanning more than a millennium in the northwest peninsula.
Etruscans
The Etruscans: Dawn of Rome served as another temporary highlight for MARQ, extended through March 20, 2022, with a total attendance of 77,478 visitors. The exhibit was organized with collaboration from MAF-Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze and Museo Etrusco Guarnacci di Volterra, and complemented by an extended program featuring Etruscan footprints in Alicante. This included partnerships with Guardamar del Segura City Council, MAG, Guardamar del Segura Archaeological Museum, La Vila Joiosa City Council, Vila Museu, the City Council of Xàbia, and the Municipal Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum “Soler Blasco,” underscoring the region’s rich Mediterranean heritage.
Also at MARQ, Knight of Ifach and Twilight of a Medieval City offered insights from the Calp site studied by MARQ researchers. The exhibit shared wall fragments and historical data about the area’s history and the community that inhabited the Calpe enclave during the 14th century.
Visitors
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MARQ Museum: 158,194 visitors
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Lucentum deposit in Alicante: 9,564 visitors
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La Illeta dels Banyets site in El Campello: 12,714 visitors
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Almudaina Almohad Tower: 1,244 visitors
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Cova de l’Or in Beniarrés: 534 visitors
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Pla de Petracos: 541 visitors