Cartagena, Spain
Encyclopedia
Cartagena is a Spanish city
and a major naval station
located in the Region of Murcia
, by the Mediterranean coast
, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital city.
Cartagena has been inhabited for nearly three millennia, being founded around 227 BC
as Qart Hadasht during the Phoenician conquest. The city lived its heyday during the Roman Empire
, when it was known as Carthago Nova (the New Carthage) and Carthago Spartaria, capital of the province of Carthaginensis. Then it suffered a period of ups and downs during the Umayyad invasion of Hispania, under its Arabic name of Qartayannat al-Halfa.
Much of the historical weight of Cartagena in the past goes to its coveted defensive port, one of the most important in the western Mediterranean. Cartagena has been the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the Mediterranean
since the arrival of the Spanish Bourbons
in the 18th century. As far back as the 16th century it was one of the most important naval ports in Spain, together with Ferrol in the North. It is still an important naval seaport, the main military haven of Spain, and there is a big naval shipyard.
The confluence of civilizations as well as its strategic harbour, together the rise of the local mining industry is manifested by a unique artistic heritage, with a number of landmarks such as the Roman Theatre
, the second largest of the Iberian Peninsula
after the one from Mérida
, a lot of Phoenician, Roman
, Byzantine and Moorish remains and a plethora of Art Nouveau
buildings, result of the bourgeoisie from the early 20th century. Cartagena is now established as a major cruiser destination in the Mediterranean and an emerging cultural focus.
It is the first of a number of cities which eventually have been named Cartagena, most notably Cartagena de Indias
(Cartagena of the West Indies) in Colombia
.
Region of Murcia
.
The Cartagena region can be viewed as a great plane inclined slightly in the direction NW-SE, bordered at the north and the northwest by pre-coastal mountain ranges (Carrascoy, El Puerto, Los Villares, Columbares and Escalona), and at the south and southwest by coastal mountain ranges (El Algarrobo, La Muela, Pelayo, Gorda, La Fausilla y Minera, with its last spurs in Cape Palos
). The dominant geology of the region is metamorphic (slate, marble) and sedimentary (limestone).
the city is located just at the end of the new AP-7 motorway.
The Old Town is limited by five small hills (Molinete, Monte Sacro, Monte de San José, Despeñaperros and Monte de la Concepción) following the example of Rome
. In the past there was an inner sea between the hills called the Estero that eventually dried up. On this site the "Ensanche" (Expansion or New Town) was built at the beginning of the 20th Century.
The urban area is delimited or crossed by several watercourses, some of which go deep into the urban network during great part of their courses.
Its location near the ocean moderates the temperature, and annual precipitation typically does not surpass 300 mm (12 in).
The annual average temperature goes up to around 20°C. The coldest month is January with an average of 12°C. In August, the warmest month, the average temperature is 26°C. The wind is an important climatic factor in the region.
Cartagena’s coastal mountains have a concentration of one of the largest botanical biodiversities of the Iberian Peninsula
. There are both European and African species present, especially the Iberian-African starvation only present in the southern coasts of Spain (mostly in the provinces of Murcia
and Almería
), together with North Africa. Among these, there stands out the tetraclinis articulata or Sandarac (sabina mora o ciprés de Cartagena—literally Cartagena's cypress in Spanish) endemic to Morocco
, Algeria
, Tunisia
, Malta
, and Cartagena, growing at relatively low altitudes in a hot, dry subtropical Mediterranean climate.
Some species are seriously endangered like the siempreviva de Cartagena (Limonium carthaginense), the rabogato del Mar Menor (Sideritis marmironensis), the Zamarrilla de Cartagena (Teucrium carthaginense), the manzanilla de escombreras (Anthemis Chrysantha), the garbancillo de Tallante (Stragalus nitidiflorus) and the jara de Cartagena (Cistus heterophyllus carthaginensis).
, the Eurasian eagle-owl, the golden eagle
and the Bonelli's eagle
, the Spur-thighed Tortoise, the Greater Horseshoe Bat
and, mainly, the Spanish toothcarp
, an endemic fish from south-eastern Spain. In addition, the presence of the common chameleon (the only chameleon in Europe) has been documented for about 30 years, although it is not clear if it is a native or introduced species. Besides the previous ones, there are also present the greater flamingo
, the red fox
, the European rabbit
, the European badger, the Beech marten
, the common genet
, the wildcat
and the wild boar.
. Possessing one of the best harbors in the Western Mediterranean, it was re-founded by the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal in 228 BC
as Qart Hadasht ("New City"), identically named to Carthage
, for the purpose of serving as a stepping-off point for the conquest of Spain
. The Roman general Scipio Africanus
conquered it in 209 BC
and renamed it as Carthago Nova (literally, New New City) to distinguish it from the mother city. Julius Caesar
gave the town Latin Right
s, and Octavian renamed it in his honor as the colony Colonia Victrix Iulia Nova Carthago or Colonia Vrbs Iulia Nova Carthago (C.V.I.N.C.) depending on the source.
In AD 298 Diocletian
constituted a new Roman province in Hispania called Carthaginensis and settled the capital in this city. It remained important until it was destroyed by the Vandals
in AD 435. During the Roman period, it was the site of major silver
mines, yielding revenue of 25,000 drachmae daily. It was known also for the production of garum
, a fermented fish sauce, and for esparto grass which granted it a new name, Cartago Spartaria.
sovereignty caused the city to go into decline and it was occupied successively by the Vandals
(409-425), the Visigoths (425-551 and 624-714) and the Byzantines
(551-624), who made it the capital of Spania
, the Byzantine Empire's westernmost province). Cartagena went re-conquered by the Visigoths until the Muslim conquest in AD 714, under the name of Qartayannat-al-Halfa. It was subsequently ruled by Umayyads (714-756), the Caliphate of Cordova
(756-1031), the Taifa of Denia
(1031–1076), the Taifa of Saragossa
(1076–1081), the Taifa of Tortosa
(1081–1092), the Almoravids
(1092–1145), the Almohads (1145–1229) and the Taifa of Murcia
(1229–1245) before the Castilian
conquest in 1245, when it finally handed to the Christian rule, with its current name. King Alfonso X of Castile (Alfonso the Wise) recaptured the city and restored the Bishopric of Cartagena. He created the Order of Saint Mary of Spain in 1270 in purpose of the naval defense of the Crown of Castile
, establishing its headquarters in Cartagena. In 1296 it annexed to the Kingdom of Aragon
. Cartagena and Spain in general then entered a period of great decadence and decay, despite a short economic revival in the 16th century, but it din’t fully recover until the 18th century when it became a leading naval port.
and the city was heavily fortified with the construction of a modern Castle in the place of a former Moorish Kasbah
, several barracks and a huge arsenal. In a relatively short period of time the population of the city grew from around 10,000 to 50,000 inhabitants.
In 1757, during the Seven Years War, a French naval force was forced to take shelter in the port. A squadron under Duquesne sent to reinforce them was attacked and defeated by a British squadron under Henry Osborn at the Battle of Cartagena
. In 1873 the city formed a federalist government and was the center of the Cantonal Revolution
, governmental forces besiege the city for several months.
During the Spanish Civil War
(1936–1939) Cartagena was one of the primary strongholds of the Republican Government and held out against the forces of General Franco longer than any other city in Spain, being the last of its cities to surrender. The city saw its industrial activity increased during the 1950s
, resulting in more prosperity and this trend continued until a general decline in manufacturing throughout Europe in the late 1980s
and early 1990s
.
, and is the seat of the Regional Assembly (Murcia’s parliament). It is also capital of the maritime province of Cartagena which was granted by the Royal Decree of October 5, 1607 under the reign of Philip III
.
According to the official population data, 14.73% of the population of the municipality had a foreign nationality.
Its metropolitan area includes the municipalities of La Unión
, Fuente Álamo de Murcia
, Los Alcázares
, San Javier
, Torre Pacheco and San Pedro del Pinatar, and have a sum of 332,035 inhabitants.
Demographic evolution of Cartagena since 1842
Nota: The municipal extension varies from the 1857 census and the previous one because of the annexion of La Palma and La Unión segregated.
The “Cartagena, Port of Cultures” initiative was created to allow visitors to enjoy a wide range of activities and visits, discovering the cultural wealth and rich history of the city. It’s one of the several projects to energize the tourist possibilities of this potential major cultural destination, frequently overshadowed by the mass-tourism due to the proximity of several holiday resorts, and the refinery and the industrial development which yielded a bad reputation to the city because of pollution, now fortunately eradicated.
when Cartagena flourished.
Among its numerous Roman remains stands out the recently restored Roman theatre of Carthago Nova
, that is one of the landmarks of the city. Its building works started at the end of the 2st century BC. The Roman Theatre museum was officially opened for the first time recently.
Other Roman remains could be found on several buildings and centres for interpretation, including the Roman colonnade, the House of Fortune, the decumanus and the Augusteum
.
The Torre Ciega was built by the Romans for burials rights, and it formed part of the Necropolis.
The Roman Amphitheatre (1st century AD) lies where the now abandoned Bullring was built, but only some of the surrounding walls and part of the rooms under the stands are still visible.
Besides the Roman heritage, the archaeological sights include the remains of the Santa María la Vieja Cathedral irreversibly destroyed during the Spanish Civil War
. It dates from the end of the 13th century. A decorated floor of a Roman house of the 1st century BC can be found in the crypt.
Also a Byzantine rampart can be found, closer the Roman theatre and the Cathedral.
The Concepción Castle (now Centre for Interpretation of the History of Cartagena) was reconstructed in the 13th century using big structures from the Amphitheater. Apart from the Roman Theatre museum, there are two important archaeological museums as well, including the Municipal Archaeological museum and the also recently opened Arqua (National Museum of Maritime Archaeology).
These buildings prove the big military importance of Cartagena. Other Several baroque or neo-classical buildings of military origin include the Charles III rampart, the Arsenal, the Midshipman's Barracks (academy and naval barracks), the Naval Headquarter Palace (built in 1740 and subsequently reformed) and the Artillery Headquarters which also houses the Military Museum.
There are many baroque or neo-classical Churches in Cartagena that worth a visit, including the churches of El Carmen, Santo Domingoand of Santa Maria de Gracia.
The Molina House with an austere appearance houses the Centre of Arts and Craft.
Cartegena is home to numerous art nouveau
buildings from early 20th century, when the Bourgeoisie settled down in the city due to the growth of the local mining industry.
The include the City Hall, the Grand Hotel, the Casino (all of them among the city's landmarks). The Railway Station has some outstanding iron doors and columns on the façade, and inside can still be seen the original ticket office, doorframe, ceiling and the lamps.
Other modernist or eclectic houses include the Clares House, the Aguirre Palace (which houses the Regional Museum of Modern Art), the Cervantes House (relatively big in comparison with other modernist buildings), the Llagostera House, the Pedreño Palace, the Dorda House, the Zapata House and the Urban Expansion Company House.
Several charming lively streets cover this area, like Calle Mayor (High street), the major pedestrian and commercial street of the city, full of boutiques and bars with typical "tapas", the Carmen Street, the Puertas de Murcia street and many more.
The Caridad church is one of the most important churches in the city, since it is dedicated to the patron saint of Cartagena. The interior is dominated by a dome, similar to the Roman pantheon of Agrippa. There are also several outstanding sculptures by the famous murcian sculptor Francisco Salzillo
and his school.
.
Many naval and military attractions belong to this route like the Naval Museum and the world-famous Peral Submarine invented by Isaac Peral (born in Cartagena) that was launched in 1888 as one of the first U-Boats ever. It is shown on the Cartagena's promenade.
The Monument to the Heroes of Santiago de Cuba and Cavite (1923) is a war memorial erected in honour of the Spanish sailors who died in combat with the US Navy in waters off Cavite
and Santiago
off the Philippine and Cuba
n coasts.
Other attractions include the Lift-Gangway near the former Bullring and the Concepcion hill, the Regional Assembly (the Parliament of the Region of Murcia) which façade has architectural influences of the Renaissance
while maintaining a modernist air (typical in the Levant), and the Carmen Conde-Antonio Moliner museum that reconstructs the atmosphere in which these poets from Cartagena created part of their important works.
) which encompasses the Mar Menor
. Cartagena also includes part of the Murcian Mediterranean Coast. Cartagena holds the distinction of being the Spanish town with the most beaches (10) certified “Q for Quality” by the ICTE (Instituto para la Calidad Turística Española). These beaches are: Cala Cortina, Islas Menores, playa Honda beach, Mar de Cristal, Cala del Pino, Cavanna beach, Barco Perdido beach, El Galúa beach, Levante beach and La Gola beach.
The wild El Portús beach is also near Cartagena’s municipal district.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and a major naval station
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
located in the Region of Murcia
Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeast of the country, between Andalusia and Valencian Community, on the Mediterranean coast....
, by the Mediterranean coast
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital city.
Cartagena has been inhabited for nearly three millennia, being founded around 227 BC
227 BC
Year 227 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Flaccus and Regulus...
as Qart Hadasht during the Phoenician conquest. The city lived its heyday during the Roman Empire
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
, when it was known as Carthago Nova (the New Carthage) and Carthago Spartaria, capital of the province of Carthaginensis. Then it suffered a period of ups and downs during the Umayyad invasion of Hispania, under its Arabic name of Qartayannat al-Halfa.
Much of the historical weight of Cartagena in the past goes to its coveted defensive port, one of the most important in the western Mediterranean. Cartagena has been the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the Mediterranean
Structure of the Spanish Navy in the 21st century
The Structure of the Spanish Navy in the New Millennium - From the early years of the 21st century the structure of the Spanish Navy has changed, and under the new structure the Spanish Naval Force has been regrouped into four naval regions under the general command of the Spanish Admiralty The...
since the arrival of the Spanish Bourbons
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
in the 18th century. As far back as the 16th century it was one of the most important naval ports in Spain, together with Ferrol in the North. It is still an important naval seaport, the main military haven of Spain, and there is a big naval shipyard.
The confluence of civilizations as well as its strategic harbour, together the rise of the local mining industry is manifested by a unique artistic heritage, with a number of landmarks such as the Roman Theatre
Roman theatre, Cartagena
The Roman Theatre is an ancient Roman theatre in Cartagena, Spain.-History:The theatre was built between 5 and 1 BC, as it has been proven by the dedication of the edifice to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, grandsons of Augustus, who had designed them as his successors.In the 3rd century AD a market was...
, the second largest of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
after the one from Mérida
Merida
Places of the world named Mérida or Merida include:*Mérida, Spain, capital city of the Spanish Community of Extremadura*Mérida, Yucatán, capital city of the Mexican state of Yucatán*Merida, Leyte, a municipality in Leyte province in the Philippines...
, a lot of Phoenician, Roman
Roman art
Roman art has the visual arts made in Ancient Rome, and in the territories of the Roman Empire. Major forms of Roman art are architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work...
, Byzantine and Moorish remains and a plethora of Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
buildings, result of the bourgeoisie from the early 20th century. Cartagena is now established as a major cruiser destination in the Mediterranean and an emerging cultural focus.
It is the first of a number of cities which eventually have been named Cartagena, most notably Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
(Cartagena of the West Indies) in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
Geography and relief
The city of Cartagena is located in the southeastern region of Spain in theRegion of Murcia
Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeast of the country, between Andalusia and Valencian Community, on the Mediterranean coast....
.
The Cartagena region can be viewed as a great plane inclined slightly in the direction NW-SE, bordered at the north and the northwest by pre-coastal mountain ranges (Carrascoy, El Puerto, Los Villares, Columbares and Escalona), and at the south and southwest by coastal mountain ranges (El Algarrobo, La Muela, Pelayo, Gorda, La Fausilla y Minera, with its last spurs in Cape Palos
Cape Palos
Cape Palos is a cape in the Spanish municipality of Cartagena, in the region of Murcia. It is part of a small range of volcanic mounts that form a small peninsula. The Mediterranean islands of Grosa and the group known as the Hormigas Islands are part of this range, as well as the islands in the...
). The dominant geology of the region is metamorphic (slate, marble) and sedimentary (limestone).
the city is located just at the end of the new AP-7 motorway.
The Old Town is limited by five small hills (Molinete, Monte Sacro, Monte de San José, Despeñaperros and Monte de la Concepción) following the example of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In the past there was an inner sea between the hills called the Estero that eventually dried up. On this site the "Ensanche" (Expansion or New Town) was built at the beginning of the 20th Century.
The urban area is delimited or crossed by several watercourses, some of which go deep into the urban network during great part of their courses.
Climate
Cartagena has a warm, semi-arid climate.Its location near the ocean moderates the temperature, and annual precipitation typically does not surpass 300 mm (12 in).
The annual average temperature goes up to around 20°C. The coldest month is January with an average of 12°C. In August, the warmest month, the average temperature is 26°C. The wind is an important climatic factor in the region.
Environment
Despite the intense mining, tourist and industrial exploitation that the area has suffered for centuries, the territory around Cartagena city hosts an extraordinary natural wealth and diversity, with a large number of botanical endemic species. Part of its area is subject to different levels of legal protection.Flora
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. There are both European and African species present, especially the Iberian-African starvation only present in the southern coasts of Spain (mostly in the provinces of Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
and Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
), together with North Africa. Among these, there stands out the tetraclinis articulata or Sandarac (sabina mora o ciprés de Cartagena—literally Cartagena's cypress in Spanish) endemic to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, and Cartagena, growing at relatively low altitudes in a hot, dry subtropical Mediterranean climate.
Some species are seriously endangered like the siempreviva de Cartagena (Limonium carthaginense), the rabogato del Mar Menor (Sideritis marmironensis), the Zamarrilla de Cartagena (Teucrium carthaginense), the manzanilla de escombreras (Anthemis Chrysantha), the garbancillo de Tallante (Stragalus nitidiflorus) and the jara de Cartagena (Cistus heterophyllus carthaginensis).
Fauna
Between the animal species it is necessary to emphasize some threatened or endangered ones like the peregrine falconPeregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, the Eurasian eagle-owl, the golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
and the Bonelli's eagle
Bonelli's Eagle
The Bonelli's Eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.It breeds in southern Europe, Africa both north and south of the Sahara Desert and across southern Asia to Indonesia...
, the Spur-thighed Tortoise, the Greater Horseshoe Bat
Greater Horseshoe Bat
The Greater Horseshoe Bat is a European bat of the Rhinolophus genus. Its distribution covers Europe, Africa, South Asia and Australia. It is the largest of the European Horseshoe Bats and is thus easily distinguished from other species...
and, mainly, the Spanish toothcarp
Spanish toothcarp
The Spanish toothcarp or Iberian killifish, Aphanius iberus, is a small, endemic species of fish in the family Cyprinodontidae. Its risk of extinction is one of the greatest of any Iberian vertebrate...
, an endemic fish from south-eastern Spain. In addition, the presence of the common chameleon (the only chameleon in Europe) has been documented for about 30 years, although it is not clear if it is a native or introduced species. Besides the previous ones, there are also present the greater flamingo
Greater Flamingo
The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in parts of Africa, southern Asia , and southern Europe...
, the red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
, the European rabbit
European Rabbit
The European Rabbit or Common Rabbit is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe and north west Africa . It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity...
, the European badger, the Beech marten
Beech Marten
The beech marten , also known as the stone marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN on account of its wide distribution, its large...
, the common genet
Common Genet
The Common Genet , also known as the Small-spotted Genet or European Genet, is a mammal from the order Carnivora, related to civets and linsangs. The most far-ranging of all the fourteen species of genet, it can be found throughout Africa, parts of the Middle East, and in Europe in Spain, Portugal,...
, the wildcat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
and the wild boar.
Protected areas
- Mar MenorMar MenorMar Menor is a salty lagoon, in the south-east of the autonomous Community of Murcia, in Spain, separated from the Mediterranean sea by La Manga, a sandbar 22km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m....
, a salty lagoon separated from the Mediterranean seaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
by a sand bar 22 km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m. It has a surface area of nearly 170 km², a coastal length of 70 km, and warm and clear water with relatively high salinity, which does not exceed 7m in depth. It belongs to four municipalities including Cartagena. In 1994 it was included on the list of the Ramsar ConventionRamsar ConventionThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
(nº706) for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. It is also a one of the Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean ImportanceSpecially Protected Areas of Mediterranean ImportanceSpecially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance are sites "of importance for conserving the components of biological diversity in the Mediterranean; contain ecosystems specific to the Mediterranean area or the habitats of endangered species; are of special interest at the scientific,...
(SPAMI) by the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Its five volcanic islands (Perdiguera, Mayor or del Barón, del Ciervo, Redonda and del Sujeto) just like the Carmolí and San Ginés mountains, the Hita and Amoladora beaches, the Lo Poyo salt marsh and the salt mines of Marchamalo are protected as well. - Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Águila, declared a Natural Park and Site of Community ImportanceSite of Community ImportanceA Site of Community Importance is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at a favourable conservation status of a natural habitat type or of a...
(SCI). - Sierra de la Muela, Cabo Tiñoso and Roldán mountain, Natural Park, Site of Community ImportanceSite of Community ImportanceA Site of Community Importance is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at a favourable conservation status of a natural habitat type or of a...
and Special Protection AreaSpecial Protection AreaA Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
(SPA). - Sierra de la Fausilla, Special Protection AreaSpecial Protection AreaA Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
- Islands and Islets of the Mediterranean coast, including Grossa Island (belonging to the municipality of San JavierSan JavierSan Javier, a Spanish language reference to Saint Francis Xavier, is sometimes used as a toponym in parts of the world where that tongue is spoken:-*San Javier, Santa Fe*San Javier Department, Córdoba*San Javier Department, Misiones...
, Hormigas Islands, Palomas Islands and Escombreras Islands, some of them also designed as Special Protection AreaSpecial Protection AreaA Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
.
Ancient history
The town was originally named MastiaMastia
Mastia is the name of an ancient Iberian ethnicity, belonging to the Tartessian confederation, located in southeastern Spain and has traditionally been associated with the city of Cartagena , mainly from the analysis of classical sources in the early twentieth century made the German Adolf...
. Possessing one of the best harbors in the Western Mediterranean, it was re-founded by the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal in 228 BC
228 BC
Year 228 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ruga and Verrucosus...
as Qart Hadasht ("New City"), identically named to Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
, for the purpose of serving as a stepping-off point for the conquest of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The Roman general Scipio Africanus
Scipio Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
conquered it in 209 BC
209 BC
Year 209 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Verrucosus and Flaccus...
and renamed it as Carthago Nova (literally, New New City) to distinguish it from the mother city. Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
gave the town Latin Right
Latin Right
Latin Rights was a civic status given by the Romans, intermediate between full Roman citizenship and non-citizen status , and extended originally to the people of Latium . The most important Latin Rights were commercium, connubium, and ius migrationis...
s, and Octavian renamed it in his honor as the colony Colonia Victrix Iulia Nova Carthago or Colonia Vrbs Iulia Nova Carthago (C.V.I.N.C.) depending on the source.
In AD 298 Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
constituted a new Roman province in Hispania called Carthaginensis and settled the capital in this city. It remained important until it was destroyed by the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
in AD 435. During the Roman period, it was the site of major silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mines, yielding revenue of 25,000 drachmae daily. It was known also for the production of garum
Garum
Garum, similar to liquamen, was a type of fermented fish sauce condiment that was an essential flavour in Ancient Roman cooking, the supreme condiment....
, a fermented fish sauce, and for esparto grass which granted it a new name, Cartago Spartaria.
Middle Ages
The demise and fall RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
sovereignty caused the city to go into decline and it was occupied successively by the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
(409-425), the Visigoths (425-551 and 624-714) and the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
(551-624), who made it the capital of Spania
Spania
Spania was a province of the Roman Empire from 552 until 624 in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. It was a part of the conquests of Roman Emperor Justinian I in an effort to restore the western half of the Empire....
, the Byzantine Empire's westernmost province). Cartagena went re-conquered by the Visigoths until the Muslim conquest in AD 714, under the name of Qartayannat-al-Halfa. It was subsequently ruled by Umayyads (714-756), the Caliphate of Cordova
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
(756-1031), the Taifa of Denia
Taifa of Dénia
The taifa of Dénia was a Muslim kingdom in medieval Spain, ruling over part of the Valencian coast and Ibiza. With Dénia as its capital, the taifa included the Balearic Islands and parts of the Spanish mainland.- History :...
(1031–1076), the Taifa of Saragossa
Taifa of Zaragoza
The taifa of Zaragoza was an independent Muslim state in Moorish Al-Andalus, present day eastern Spain, which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, which emerged in the 11th century following the destruction of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the Moorish Iberian Peninsula.During the...
(1076–1081), the Taifa of Tortosa
Taifa of Tortosa
The Taifa of Tortosa was a medieval taifa kingdom which existed for two separate periods: from 1010 to 1060 and from 1081 to 1099.-Saqlabi dynasty:* Lab'ib : c. 1009-bfr. 1039/40* Muqatil Sayf al-Milla: bfr...
(1081–1092), the Almoravids
Almoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
(1092–1145), the Almohads (1145–1229) and the Taifa of Murcia
Taifa of Murcia
The Taifa of Murcia was one of the Taifas of medieval Al-Andalus, in what is now southern Spain. It became independent as a taifa centered on the Moorish city of Murcia after the fall of the Omayyad Caliphate of Córdoba...
(1229–1245) before the Castilian
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
conquest in 1245, when it finally handed to the Christian rule, with its current name. King Alfonso X of Castile (Alfonso the Wise) recaptured the city and restored the Bishopric of Cartagena. He created the Order of Saint Mary of Spain in 1270 in purpose of the naval defense of the Crown of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, establishing its headquarters in Cartagena. In 1296 it annexed to the Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
. Cartagena and Spain in general then entered a period of great decadence and decay, despite a short economic revival in the 16th century, but it din’t fully recover until the 18th century when it became a leading naval port.
Modern history
In 1728 Cartagena became the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the MediterraneanStructure of the Spanish Navy in the 21st century
The Structure of the Spanish Navy in the New Millennium - From the early years of the 21st century the structure of the Spanish Navy has changed, and under the new structure the Spanish Naval Force has been regrouped into four naval regions under the general command of the Spanish Admiralty The...
and the city was heavily fortified with the construction of a modern Castle in the place of a former Moorish Kasbah
Alcazaba
An alcazaba , alcáçova or alcassaba is a Moorish fortification in Spain and Portugal. The word derives from the Arabic word القصبة , a walled-fortification in a city....
, several barracks and a huge arsenal. In a relatively short period of time the population of the city grew from around 10,000 to 50,000 inhabitants.
In 1757, during the Seven Years War, a French naval force was forced to take shelter in the port. A squadron under Duquesne sent to reinforce them was attacked and defeated by a British squadron under Henry Osborn at the Battle of Cartagena
Battle of Cartagena (1758)
The Battle of Cartagena took place on 28 February 1758 off the Spanish port of Cartagena during the Seven Years War. A British fleet under Henry Osborn, which had blockaded a French fleet in Cartagena, attacked and defeated a French force under Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville coming to their...
. In 1873 the city formed a federalist government and was the center of the Cantonal Revolution
Cantonal Revolution
The Cantonal Revolution was a cantonalist uprising that took place during the First Spanish Republic, starting on July 12 of 1873 in Cartagena...
, governmental forces besiege the city for several months.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
(1936–1939) Cartagena was one of the primary strongholds of the Republican Government and held out against the forces of General Franco longer than any other city in Spain, being the last of its cities to surrender. The city saw its industrial activity increased during the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, resulting in more prosperity and this trend continued until a general decline in manufacturing throughout Europe in the late 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and early 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
.
Present
At the moment Cartagena comprises part of the autonomous community of the Region of MurciaRegion of Murcia
The Region of Murcia is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeast of the country, between Andalusia and Valencian Community, on the Mediterranean coast....
, and is the seat of the Regional Assembly (Murcia’s parliament). It is also capital of the maritime province of Cartagena which was granted by the Royal Decree of October 5, 1607 under the reign of Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
.
Demographics
According the Municipal census as of January 2011, Cartagena has 218,210 inhabitants, ranking 24th in Spain in terms of population. Spanish municipality by population (6th among the non-capitals). 182,021 people live in the urban area and 39,840 in the several satellite quarters.According to the official population data, 14.73% of the population of the municipality had a foreign nationality.
Its metropolitan area includes the municipalities of La Unión
La Unión, Murcia
La Unión is situated in the Region of Murcia in the southeast of Spain. It has an area of 24.6 km². It has a population of 16,180. It has the elevation of 86 m. Its average annual temperature is 17º C. It has balmy winters. The sun shines 320 days per year...
, Fuente Álamo de Murcia
Fuente Álamo de Murcia
Fuente Álamo de Murcia is a town and municipality in the Region of Murcia, southern Spain. It is situated 22 km northwest of Cartagena and 35 km south west of Murcia...
, Los Alcázares
Los Alcázares
Los Alcázares - pronounced Los Al-Katha-Res is a small, but expanding coastal spa town and former fishing village on the Western side of the Mar Menor in the autonomous community and province of Murcia, southeastern Spain....
, San Javier
San Javier
San Javier, a Spanish language reference to Saint Francis Xavier, is sometimes used as a toponym in parts of the world where that tongue is spoken:-*San Javier, Santa Fe*San Javier Department, Córdoba*San Javier Department, Misiones...
, Torre Pacheco and San Pedro del Pinatar, and have a sum of 332,035 inhabitants.
Demographic evolution of Cartagena since 1842
- Fuente: INE
Nota: The municipal extension varies from the 1857 census and the previous one because of the annexion of La Palma and La Unión segregated.
Main sights
Thanks to its strategic position on the Mediterranean, Cartagena has been inhabited by many different cultures which have left their mark on its rich cultural heritage during a glorious and turbulent history.The “Cartagena, Port of Cultures” initiative was created to allow visitors to enjoy a wide range of activities and visits, discovering the cultural wealth and rich history of the city. It’s one of the several projects to energize the tourist possibilities of this potential major cultural destination, frequently overshadowed by the mass-tourism due to the proximity of several holiday resorts, and the refinery and the industrial development which yielded a bad reputation to the city because of pollution, now fortunately eradicated.
Archaeological sites
Although there are some ruins from the Carthaginian ages, like the remains of the Punic rampart (built in 227 BC with the foundation of the city), most of its oldest monuments date from the ages of the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
when Cartagena flourished.
Among its numerous Roman remains stands out the recently restored Roman theatre of Carthago Nova
Roman theatre, Cartagena
The Roman Theatre is an ancient Roman theatre in Cartagena, Spain.-History:The theatre was built between 5 and 1 BC, as it has been proven by the dedication of the edifice to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, grandsons of Augustus, who had designed them as his successors.In the 3rd century AD a market was...
, that is one of the landmarks of the city. Its building works started at the end of the 2st century BC. The Roman Theatre museum was officially opened for the first time recently.
Other Roman remains could be found on several buildings and centres for interpretation, including the Roman colonnade, the House of Fortune, the decumanus and the Augusteum
Augusteum
An Augusteum was originally a site of the imperial cult of ancient Rome, named after the imperial title of Augustus. It was known as a Sebasteion in the Greek East of the Roman Empire...
.
The Torre Ciega was built by the Romans for burials rights, and it formed part of the Necropolis.
The Roman Amphitheatre (1st century AD) lies where the now abandoned Bullring was built, but only some of the surrounding walls and part of the rooms under the stands are still visible.
Besides the Roman heritage, the archaeological sights include the remains of the Santa María la Vieja Cathedral irreversibly destroyed during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. It dates from the end of the 13th century. A decorated floor of a Roman house of the 1st century BC can be found in the crypt.
Also a Byzantine rampart can be found, closer the Roman theatre and the Cathedral.
The Concepción Castle (now Centre for Interpretation of the History of Cartagena) was reconstructed in the 13th century using big structures from the Amphitheater. Apart from the Roman Theatre museum, there are two important archaeological museums as well, including the Municipal Archaeological museum and the also recently opened Arqua (National Museum of Maritime Archaeology).
Baroque and Neo-classical buildings
The Campus Muralla del Mar an old military hospital was one of the first works carried out after the transformation of the city into the main Spanish naval base in the Mediterranean, and is now the seat of the Polytechnic University. In the vicinity there is the Autopsy theater, which is where anatomy classes used to be given. The touristic rehabilitation offers the patrimonial interpretation of the nearby buildings at the time of its construction.These buildings prove the big military importance of Cartagena. Other Several baroque or neo-classical buildings of military origin include the Charles III rampart, the Arsenal, the Midshipman's Barracks (academy and naval barracks), the Naval Headquarter Palace (built in 1740 and subsequently reformed) and the Artillery Headquarters which also houses the Military Museum.
There are many baroque or neo-classical Churches in Cartagena that worth a visit, including the churches of El Carmen, Santo Domingoand of Santa Maria de Gracia.
The Molina House with an austere appearance houses the Centre of Arts and Craft.
Modernist and eclectic buildings
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
buildings from early 20th century, when the Bourgeoisie settled down in the city due to the growth of the local mining industry.
The include the City Hall, the Grand Hotel, the Casino (all of them among the city's landmarks). The Railway Station has some outstanding iron doors and columns on the façade, and inside can still be seen the original ticket office, doorframe, ceiling and the lamps.
Other modernist or eclectic houses include the Clares House, the Aguirre Palace (which houses the Regional Museum of Modern Art), the Cervantes House (relatively big in comparison with other modernist buildings), the Llagostera House, the Pedreño Palace, the Dorda House, the Zapata House and the Urban Expansion Company House.
Several charming lively streets cover this area, like Calle Mayor (High street), the major pedestrian and commercial street of the city, full of boutiques and bars with typical "tapas", the Carmen Street, the Puertas de Murcia street and many more.
The Caridad church is one of the most important churches in the city, since it is dedicated to the patron saint of Cartagena. The interior is dominated by a dome, similar to the Roman pantheon of Agrippa. There are also several outstanding sculptures by the famous murcian sculptor Francisco Salzillo
Francisco Salzillo
Francisco Salzillo y Alcaraz was a Spanish sculptor. He is the most representative Spanish image-maker of the 18th century and one of greatest of the Baroque. Francisco Salzillo worked exclusively on religious themes, and almost always in polychromed wood...
and his school.
Contemporary sights
The Civil War shelter-museum lies on the galleries excavated out the Concepción hill (where is the Castle) to serve as air-raid shelters during the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
Many naval and military attractions belong to this route like the Naval Museum and the world-famous Peral Submarine invented by Isaac Peral (born in Cartagena) that was launched in 1888 as one of the first U-Boats ever. It is shown on the Cartagena's promenade.
The Monument to the Heroes of Santiago de Cuba and Cavite (1923) is a war memorial erected in honour of the Spanish sailors who died in combat with the US Navy in waters off Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
and Santiago
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
off the Philippine and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n coasts.
Other attractions include the Lift-Gangway near the former Bullring and the Concepcion hill, the Regional Assembly (the Parliament of the Region of Murcia) which façade has architectural influences of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
while maintaining a modernist air (typical in the Levant), and the Carmen Conde-Antonio Moliner museum that reconstructs the atmosphere in which these poets from Cartagena created part of their important works.
Beaches
Although the city itself is only a port, within the city limits lies part of La Manga del Mar Menor (the other part belonging to the municipality of San JavierSan Javier
San Javier, a Spanish language reference to Saint Francis Xavier, is sometimes used as a toponym in parts of the world where that tongue is spoken:-*San Javier, Santa Fe*San Javier Department, Córdoba*San Javier Department, Misiones...
) which encompasses the Mar Menor
Mar Menor
Mar Menor is a salty lagoon, in the south-east of the autonomous Community of Murcia, in Spain, separated from the Mediterranean sea by La Manga, a sandbar 22km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m....
. Cartagena also includes part of the Murcian Mediterranean Coast. Cartagena holds the distinction of being the Spanish town with the most beaches (10) certified “Q for Quality” by the ICTE (Instituto para la Calidad Turística Española). These beaches are: Cala Cortina, Islas Menores, playa Honda beach, Mar de Cristal, Cala del Pino, Cavanna beach, Barco Perdido beach, El Galúa beach, Levante beach and La Gola beach.
The wild El Portús beach is also near Cartagena’s municipal district.
Festivals
- Cartagena's Holy WeekHoly WeekHoly Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
, declared of international touristic interest - Carthaginians and Romans, declared of national touristic interest. The main festivities of the city, a colourful Carthaginian and Roman parade full of events that reminds the famous Punic Wars and the conquest of the city by both Empires.
- Cartagena celebrates the day the very first majoress was declared they have parties to celebrate and they invite strangers into their house.
See also
- Campo de CartagenaCampo de CartagenaCampo de Cartagena or Comarca de Cartagena is a comarca in the Region of Murcia, southeastern Spain. The main town is Cartagena, the most important Naval Base of the Spanish Navy in the Mediterranean Sea...
- NavantiaNavantiaNavantia, formerly Bazán or IZAR, is a Spanish shipbuilding firm, which offers its services to both military and civil sector. It is the fifth largest shipbuilder in Europe, and the ninth largest in the world with shipyards all over Spain....
Spanish Shipbuilding Industry - Spanish NavySpanish NavyThe Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
- Isaac PeralIsaac PeralIsaac Peral y Caballero , was a Spanish engineer, sailor and designer of the Peral Submarine .-Career:...
Cartagena inventor whose submarine is mounted on the waterfront
External links
- Official Tourism Site of Murcia, Spain (click on English at the bottom)
- Cartagena City Hall
- Viva Murcia Information and photographs for Cartagena
- Coast batteries of Cenizas and Castillitos