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Murcia
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Back to: Spain car hire Murcia Cartagena Tourist Information spain
Cartagena murcia information
Carthaginians and Romans took an interest in this maritime
enclave, from whose Latin title, Cartago Nova, comes its current name.
Cartagena was also under Arab domination until Fernando III the Saint
reconquered it and incorporated it into the kingdom of Castile. Its
port was hugely important in the War of Spanish Succession and the in
the War of Independence.
Sea Wall
The rich legacy of Cartagena stretches along the shores of its marina.
The Sea Wall, built by Carlos III (18th century), marks the boundaries
of its historic quarter. Facing the Mediterranean are two features which
are clearly linked to the sea: the prototype submarine designed by the
inventor from Cartagena Isaac Peral and the National Museum of Maritime
Archaeology. This museum, on the Navidad dyke, also houses the National
Centre of Underwater Archaeological Investigation. Through its discoveries,
we can learn about aspects of naval construction, trade and navigation
developed in the ancient world.
The entrance to the town centre is dominated by the Palacio Consistorial
or City Hall, a gem of modernist architecture from the early 20th century.
On the way to the Torres Park (behind the Sea Wall) is the Old Cathedral.
It is the oldest church in Cartagena (13th century), whose remains stand
on the steps of a Roman Theatre discovered in 1987. This structure dates
from the 1st century BC and is one of the most important in Spain along
with the theatre in Mérida. Many of the pieces found on this
site can be seen in the Municipal Archaeological Museum, such as altar
stones, reliefs and sculptures. Other fine examples of the city's Roman
splendour are the remains of the Amphitheatre (in the Bullring), the
Molinete Archaeological Zone, the Colonnade of the Lower Moorish Quarter
and the Byzantine Wall, which, despite its name, is also Roman.
In Torres Park is the Castle of la Concepción. Standing on a
hill, it has been a fortress of Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs
and Castilians.
To see Cartagena's modernist architecture, take a walk around calle
Mayor, which starts at City Hall Square, and the surrounding streets.
Gathered here are the Casa Cervantes and Casa Llagostera, works by the
Cartagena architect Victor Beltrí, whose characteristic features
are miradors, ironwork and bronze reliefs of allegorical figures. Other
buildings representing this artistic trend are the Casino, the Gran
Hotel, the Train Station and the Casa Maestre and Casa Dorda. Elegant,
middle-class monuments which testify to the economic development of
the area at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th
century, based on mining and industry. More aristocratic are the palaces
of Aguirre and Pedreño, the first being modernist in style and
the other, Neoclassic.
Naval Museum
Next to the walled historic quarter is the Military Arsenal, completed
during the reign of Carlos III. Its walls house the only entrance gate
to the city still standing. Also linked to the history of Cartagena,
you can visit the Naval Museum, on the edge of the modern city. Exhibited
here are navigating instruments from ancient vessels, maps and charts,
alongside models of all kinds of ships. It is also worth visiting the
fishing district of Santa Lucía.
The variety of landscapes in the region of Murcia enriches the dinner
table where garden vegetables, produce of the sea and ingredients from
inland go hand in hand. In Cartagena, without a doubt, salted fish,
fish, stews and paellas are the order of the day. The plentiful supply
of Mediterranean salt is used when it comes to making salted fish (above
all tuna, mackerel or melva) and fish with salt, such as sea bream.
Stews of grey mullet, monkfish, grouper... are accompanied by rice,
which is cooked in the same juice, and is eaten with garlic mayonnaise.
Fig bread is a speciality of the region and the “asiático”,
typical of Cartagena, “livens up” a coffee with condensed
milk, brandy and cinnamon.
To sample the different cuisines of Murcia you will have to head northwest
to visit the Sierra de Moratalla mountains, Caravaca de la Cruz and
Calasparra, whose rice is the only one in Spain with its own Designation
of Origin standard. Without a doubt, this is the main ingredient of
a long list of recipes, such as rice with snails or in a stew with celery
and turkey. The fertile plain of Segura leads to towns such as Cieza,
Archena (with its spa) or Molina del Segura (with a major golf course),
places where asparagus, Swiss chard stew and rabbit with chestnuts are
just some of the delicacies. In Murcia's high plateau (to the north)
you can visit the historic towns of Jumilla and Yecla. Cities which
also have their own Designation of Origin standard wines. Here, "gazpachos"
and vegetables accompany dishes of game. The area of arable land provides
a great many types of fruit and vegetables, which combine perfectly
with its excellent sausages and cold meats. The Parador de Turismo of
Puerto Lumbreras, and the towns of the Costa Cálida (Águilas,
Mazarrón, San Pedro del Pinatar...) gather together an interesting
legacy of historic sites, with exceptional nautical facilities, beaches
and a delicious cuisine.
Source: Web server of Instituto de Turismo
de Espaņa, TURESPAŅA
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