Fuente Álamo de Murcia
Encyclopedia
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
. The town lies in the basin of the Mar Menor
surrounded by the mountains of Algarrobo, Los Gómez, Los Victorias and the Carrascoy.
The water from these mountains flows down into the Rambla de Fuente Álamo and then onto the Mar Menor. The highest point in the region is the "Eagles Rock" at 1,066m, situated in the Carrascoy mountains.
The town is known locally as Fuente Álamo (without using "de Murcia").
and there is a village and area named La Manchica
(little La Mancha) to the south of Fuente Álamo.
In 1463 the area was referred to as "La fuente del alamo" in a dispute over who actually owned the land between the peoples of Cartagena and Lorca
In 1500 the council of Lorca, in an effort to assert its authority, started to allocate small sections of land to the population for the use of cultivation. The area was controlled by the "Three Councils" of Murcia, Lorca and Cartagena.
Permission was sought to build the first church in 1545.
On 5 July 1700 Fuente Álamo was Granted authority from King Charles II
to exist as an independent township and 20 July that year elected its first mayor Gregorio Reyllo Hernández. The three councils, because each had a vested interest in controlling Fuente Álamo objected to this decree of independence and on 1 April 1702 King Felipe V rescinded the privilege of Fuente Álamo to exist independently. The title of mayor was then given on a yearly basis to a citizen of the three councils on a rotation basis. This situation was to exist until 1820 when full independence was restored.
During the latter part of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century the town declined due to the pollution of its water source. Some 3000 residents left and settled in the surrounding villages, and by 1822 only 9 houses were occupied in the town.
Napoleon's troops occupy the town in August 1823.
In 1939 shortly before the end of the civil war, Republican forces sank the troop carrier Castillo de Olite
as it was leaving the port of Cartagena. Of the 2112 people on board 1476 were killed, 342 were injured and 294 were taken prisoner. The captured were transferred to Fuente Álamo where they were imprisoned. In 1966, in recognition of the services given by the people of the town, General Francisco Franco awarded Fuente Álamo with the title "Muy Noble y Muy Leal Villa" (Most noble and most loyal town).
Today the town is experiencing a rapid period of growth, both economically and demographically.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
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....
, southern 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...
. It is situated 22 km northwest of Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
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...
and 35 km south west 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...
. The town lies in the basin of 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....
surrounded by the mountains of Algarrobo, Los Gómez, Los Victorias and the Carrascoy.
The water from these mountains flows down into the Rambla de Fuente Álamo and then onto the Mar Menor. The highest point in the region is the "Eagles Rock" at 1,066m, situated in the Carrascoy mountains.
The town is known locally as Fuente Álamo (without using "de Murcia").
Climate
The climate of Fuente Álamo is best described as typical Mediterranean. The actual classification is "Mediterranean semi-arid subtropical climate". The average yearly temperature is 18.4 °C, reaching highs of around 40 °C in July and August and dropping as low as 4 °C in December and January.History
The town can trace its history back to 1520, although there was activity in and around the site of the town several years prior to this date. The area was used for Transhumance by the shepherds and goat herders from La ManchaLa Mancha
La Mancha is a natural and historical region or greater comarca located on an arid, fertile, elevated plateau of central Spain, south of Madrid, stretching between the Montes de Toledo and the western spurs of the Serrania de Cuenca. It is bounded on the south by the Sierra Morena and on the north...
and there is a village and area named La Manchica
La Manchica
La ManchicaLa Manchica is both a village and an area in the autonomous region of Murcia, in southern Spain. The village is situated 5 km south of the town and municipalty of Fuente Álamo de Murcia and was established during the Transhumance of shepherds and goat herders from the La Mancha...
(little La Mancha) to the south of Fuente Álamo.
In 1463 the area was referred to as "La fuente del alamo" in a dispute over who actually owned the land between the peoples of Cartagena and Lorca
Lorca
Lorca is a municipality and town in the autonomous community of Murcia in southeastern Spain, 36 miles southwest of the city of Murcia. It had a population of 92,694 in 2010, up from the 2001 census total of 77,477. Lorca is the municipality with the second-largest surface area in Spain with...
In 1500 the council of Lorca, in an effort to assert its authority, started to allocate small sections of land to the population for the use of cultivation. The area was controlled by the "Three Councils" of Murcia, Lorca and Cartagena.
Permission was sought to build the first church in 1545.
On 5 July 1700 Fuente Álamo was Granted authority from King Charles II
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
to exist as an independent township and 20 July that year elected its first mayor Gregorio Reyllo Hernández. The three councils, because each had a vested interest in controlling Fuente Álamo objected to this decree of independence and on 1 April 1702 King Felipe V rescinded the privilege of Fuente Álamo to exist independently. The title of mayor was then given on a yearly basis to a citizen of the three councils on a rotation basis. This situation was to exist until 1820 when full independence was restored.
During the latter part of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century the town declined due to the pollution of its water source. Some 3000 residents left and settled in the surrounding villages, and by 1822 only 9 houses were occupied in the town.
Napoleon's troops occupy the town in August 1823.
In 1939 shortly before the end of the civil war, Republican forces sank the troop carrier Castillo de Olite
SS Castillo de Olite
The Castillo de Olite was a merchant steamship, which was sunk by the costal defense batteries of Cartagena in the last days of the Spanish Civil War, while transporting 2,112 Spanish Nationalist troops.-History:...
as it was leaving the port of Cartagena. Of the 2112 people on board 1476 were killed, 342 were injured and 294 were taken prisoner. The captured were transferred to Fuente Álamo where they were imprisoned. In 1966, in recognition of the services given by the people of the town, General Francisco Franco awarded Fuente Álamo with the title "Muy Noble y Muy Leal Villa" (Most noble and most loyal town).
Today the town is experiencing a rapid period of growth, both economically and demographically.
Main sights
- Parish church of San Agustín (16th century)
- Hermitage of San Roque
- Aljibón de Corverica
- Puente Viejo ("Old Bridge")