ALICANTE
Origin/meaning:
The town was liberated from the Moors in the 13th century by James I of Aragon. The arms show the arms of Valencia above a tower, symbolizing the fact that the city was a fortress in the Valencia region. The letters are the initials of the city during the centuries : A-L for Akra Leuka (during the Gree-Carthagean era), L for Lucentum (during the Roman era) and
A for Alicante (since the Arabic times).
The rock (el Monte Benecantil) on which the castle (el castillo de Santa Bárbara) is standing on is in the shape of a human face. This is because the rock - a completely natural formation - does actually look like a human face if looked at from the sea; it is known as the Moor's Face, see below
The rock in Alicante, from www.alicante.es
Literature : de Cadenas, A. A. and de Cadenas, V. : Heraldica de las comunidades autonomas y de las capitales de provincia. Hidalguia, Madrid, 1985; Louda, J. : European Civic Heraldry. Hamlyn, London, 1966;
coats of arms on-line ! 
