Moratalla is a small town and the center of a large municipality

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...

 of the same name in the Autonomous Community of 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....

 in southeastern 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...

. In 2009, the population of Moratalla was 8,455: some 5,900 in the town of Moratalla itself and the rest in districts such as Benizar, El Sabinar or Casa Requena.

Description

It is chiefly a mountainous and comparatively cool territory (with regard to the region), snow being frequent in the highest zones (Revolcadores, 2015 m (6,610.9 ft)) and cold valleys (Campo de San Juan, El Sabinar). It is crossed by minor rivers (Alhárabe, Benamor) which flow into the Segura

Segura

Segura is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain.It starts at Santiago Pontones , passes Calasparra, Cieza, Murcia, Beniaján, Orihuela, Rojales and ends in the Mediterranean Sea near Guardamar del Segura in the province of Alicante...

. There is a main reservoir of the Segura at El Cenajo. Main representatives of the local fauna are wild boars, Spanish Ibex

Spanish ibex

The Iberian ibex, Spanish ibex, Spanish wild goat, or Iberian wild goat is a species of ibex with four subspecies. Of these, two can still be found on the Iberian Peninsula, but the remaining two are now extinct. The Portuguese subspecies became extinct in 1892 and the Pyrenean subspecies became...

, short-toed eagle

Short-toed Eagle

The Short-toed Snake Eagle also known as Short-toed Eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers.-Range and habitat:...

s and Moorish turtles. Wide portions of the municipality are protected in ZEPAs (Special Protection Area

Special Protection Area

A 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...

s) or LICs (Site of Community Importance

Site of Community Importance

A 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...

 areas).

Its main economic resources are tourism

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 and agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 (apricots, almonds, olives and olive oil, wood, barley).

Francis, Duke of Cádiz (13 May 1822 – 17 April 1902), king consort

King consort

King consort is an alternative title to the more usual "prince consort" - which is a position given in some monarchies to the husband of a reigning queen. It is a symbolic title only, the sole constitutional function of the holder being similar to a prince consort, which is the male equivalent of a...

 of Spain, adopted the incognito title of Count of Moratalla after his exile to France in 1868.

Main sights

Moratalla's sights include the Fortress Castle , home to the "Tribute Tower" , a military-gothic style building which dates from the 15th century. There is also an Arab castle in Benizar, built in the 12th century.

The Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Asunción dates from the 16th century). Other churches include Santa Ana or San Francisco and the "House of Christ" , on the mountain, built by the Order of La Merced from the 16th century.

There are two Roman bridges in Moratalla: the Jesus Christ Bridge over the Benámor River, and the Hellin Bridge over the Alhárabe River.

Holy Week

During the Holy Week

Holy Week

Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...

, there is a traditional tamborada, a collective drumming, which can last all day long. In southern Spain, tamboradas are characteristic of Moratalla as well as of Mula

Mula, Spain

Mula is a municipality in the center of the autonomous community of Region of Murcia in southeastern Spain, with nearly 17,076 inhabitants . It is best-known for the tamboradas held during the Holy Week...

 (in Murcia) and Hellín

Hellín

Hellín is a town and municipality located in the south of the province of Albacete, in Castile-La Mancha, Spain. , it has a population of 31,109....

 and Tobarra

Tobarra

Tobarra is a municipality in the province of Albacete in Spain, with a population of c. 8,000 as of 2009.The area is famous for its "Moniquí" variety of apricots, its drum processions and its Holy Week observances, declared by the government to be of National Tourist Interest...

(in Albacete). A unique aspect of Moratalla's Holy Week is that every tamborista (drummer) dresses in distinct, hand-made robes. Drums are also traditionally hand-made.

Fiestas del Santísimo Cristo del Rayo (Holy Christ of the Thunder Celebrations) July 11-17

This celebration takes place in the streets of Moratalla, in which cows and bulls are set free. People get together into their peñas, placed in the Eldest Street "Calle Mayor", where they enjoy the party. There is also a fair which may be visited every night from 10 to 17 July. It's like an amusement park with many "street-shops" where you can buy some hand-made products.

External links

• Official website
• Asociación de tamboristas
• Information and tourism resources
• Viva Murcia community info for Moratalla