On Thursday 4th March all the Congress attendees are invited to a Formal Dinner at Santa Barbara Castle.

Located at a height of 166 metres on Mount Benacantil, this is a fortress with an enormous strategic value. It was given the name Santa Bárbara because it was on her feast day, 4thDecember, in 1248, that it was taken from the Arabs by Prince Alfonso of Castile, the future King Alfonso X The Wise.

Santa Bárbara Castle is divided into three separate precincts. The first of these is known as La Torreta and it contains the old Torre del Homenaje, which houses the oldest remains of the fortress. The middle precinctdates from 1580: Salón Felipe II, the former Corps opposite the large inner ward, Santa Bárbara chapel and theQueen's Bastion, amongst others. The third precinct is the lowest and dates back to the 18th century; it is herethat the battlement known as the Revellín del Bon Repós can be found. Its interior also hosts exhibitions.

The castle can be reached by a lift that has been excavated out of the rock, opposite El Postiguet beach, or by a road that runs between the pine groves on the northern slope of Mount Benacantil and starts in Calle Vázquez de Mella. On its slope is La Ereta Park, from which there are spectacular views of the city andaccess to the old quarter.