Villas in Alicante: What's in a Name?

Have you ever wondered why when you arrive in your VILLAS IN ALICANTE that the signposts on the main road to the airport display two different versions of the city’s name? Alacant and Alicante: both spellings are listed but how did it came to be? General Franco, the Spanish dictator, banned the use of Catalan as a language while also prohibiting the use of names of ordinary people. His death in 1975 marked a return to a monarchy under Prince Juan Carlos who restored democracy. Names were returned and that was the same for many cities and towns. Unfortunately, Alicante had become synonymous with leisure travellers worldwide. The Romans came here centuries ago and called the town Lucentum; the Greeks came and called it Leuka Akra. Just what's in a name?