The City if found in a shallow valley and is divided by it's river. The construction is mostly in gold and honey colored stone, with red tile roofs. Alicnate rises up the side of a steep hill on one side and its houses pile atop one another. From the river, canals have been dug of which the largest is Princewater Canal. Apart from its unusual demon towers, Alicante is a city of canals. Since wells must be kept shallow to avoide piercing the adamas viens below the city. The adamas provies a similar problem for Roman-style equeducts that for many hundreds of years have carried fresh water into the city by a series of artificial canals. These are crossed by Alicante's distinctive arched stone bridges. Today a network of underground pipes allow for running water in most Alicante homes and its canals remain as reminder of an older age and as a charming feature of the city. 

The demon towers of Alicante are Idris's most dramatic physical feature. A true wonder of the wrold. With the towers soaring into the sky like the finbals of a heavenly crown formed of pure adamas, it seems impossible that they could have been made by human hands. And in fact our history teaches us that they were not: the accounts of Jonothan Shadowhunter that hvae come down to us suggests that they were brought into being by Raziel, and that they grow out of a thick vein of adamas placed by Raziel under the earth to be mined for our Nephilim weapons and tools. Raziel's words to Johnothan Shadowhunter include in addition to the discussion of the Mortal Instruements, a meantion of "a gift I bring to you upon the Earth". It's been often thought that this refers to the carcing (and warding) of Idris out of the wilderness in the southern part of the Holy Roman Empire, but othershave argued that it refers to the demon towers. These warded spires are a constant reminder that were chosen and protected by the Angel, and that we are not alone in our mission. The demon towers have stood unchanged since the time of the very first Shadowhunters. 

The Guard is the offical meeting place of the Clave. It is the home of the Consul and Inquisitor and there families, and it is where the Law is made and debated. When the Clave is officially in session, only adult Shadowhunters are allowed onto the grounds. The building is of dark stone and is baisc in its architecture a simple fortress. Built for safety and supported on all sies by underorated pillars. Four demon towers, smaller than the ones that guard the city rise from the four cardinal points of the building. The gates of the Gard are among its most dramatic features: several times taller than a man, they are wrought from a combination of silver and gold iron and are covered in calligraphic interpretations of Marks. On either side of the gates stand the stone satues know colloquilay as the Guardians. Each is a warrior-angel holding a carved sword and standing above a dying creature meant to rpresent the dmoinc enemies of the Nephilim a reminder that angels are beautifil, but also terrible and that just as we are in part angel, so are we warriors. There is only one Portal open in Alicnante and it is in the Guard for use of the Clave in times of emergency. The potential danger of this "back door" is mitigated by this Portal's being "reverse-warded" in the manner of an Insitute's Sanctuary. That is Marks block it off as place outside the protection can function inside this one room of the Gard. 

The Armory is an imposing stone stronghold on the eastern side of Aliante, part storehouse, part museum, part research center. It represents the only presence of the Iron Sisters within Idris proper, although visitors rarely see them since the Sisters spend most of their time below ground level working on new weapon designs and performing repairs. The armory serves the same function for Alicante as the weapons room does for an Insitute. The Clave has the authoirty to take whatver weaponry they need from it to outfit Shadwohunters for concflict within Idris. Those who are not Clave members are restricted to the south wing, which serves as a museum of antiquated weapons no longer in use and showcases a small collection of weapons made famouse in Shadowhunter legend. The building was constructed in a medivel style, eachoing fortress imagery with its high stone walls lined in turrets. How-ever it dates only from the early 1800's the interior is not at all laid out like a fortress and the impression that it gives being able to withstand artillery fire is moslty a surface affectation. The Iron Sisters are protected instead of doing their work in its extentive and labyrinthine bastment levels. A passage somehwere in those basement levels is said to lead direclty to the Adamant Citadel.