Murcia
Encyclopedia
History
It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle (the plant is known to grow in the general area), although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village (Murtius was a common Roman name). Other research suggests that it may owe its name to the Latin Murtae (Mulberry), which covered the regional landscape for many centuries. The Latin name eventually changed into the Arabic Mursiya, and then, Murcia.The city in its present location was founded with the name Medinat Mursiya (city of Murcia) in AD 825 by Abd ar-Rahman II
Abd ar-Rahman II
Abd ar-Rahman II was Umayyad Emir of Córdoba in the Al-Andalus from 822 until his death.He was born in Toledo, the son of Emir Al-Hakam I...
, who was then the emir of Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
. Muslims planners, taking advantage of the course of the river Segura, created a complex network of irrigation channels that made the town's agricultural existence prosperous. In the 12th century the traveler and writer Muhammad al-Idrisi
Muhammad al-Idrisi
Abu Abd Allah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani al-Sabti or simply Al Idrisi was a Moroccan Muslim geographer, cartographer, Egyptologist and traveller who lived in Sicily, at the court of King Roger II. Muhammed al-Idrisi was born in Ceuta then belonging to the Almoravid Empire and died in...
described the city of Murcia as populous and strongly fortified. After the fall of the Caliphate of Cordoba in 1031, Murcia passed under the successive rules of the powers seated variously at 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"...
, Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. After the fall of Almoravide empire, Muhammad Ibn Mardanis made Murcia capital of an independent kingdom. At this time, Murcia was a very prosperous city, famous for its ceramics, exported to Italian towns, as well as for silk and paper industries, the first in Europe. The coinage of Murcia was considered as model in all the continent. The mystic Ibn Arabi
Ibn Arabi
Ibn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Moorish Sufi mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn `Arabī .-Biography:...
(1165 - 1240), and the poets Ibn al-Jinan (d.1214) and Ibn Hazmun borned in Murcia at this period.
In 1172 Murcia was taken by the Almohades, and from 1223 to 1243 it briefly served as the capital of an independent kingdom. By the treaty of Alcaraz, in 1243, Alfonso X of Castille made Murcia a protectorate, getting access to Mediterrannean sea while Murcia wa protected against Granada and Aragon. But the town became rapidly colonized by Christians from almost all parts of the Iberian Peninsula. These Christian populations were brought to the area with the goal of establishing a Christian base here, one that would be loyal to the Crown of Castile and whose culture would supplant that of the subjugated Muslim peoples. During the process of Christianization, many of the city’s mosques were destroyed or converted into Catholic churches.. That is why a revolt spread in 1264-6. In 1296, James II of Aragon conquered the city. In 1304, it was finally incorporated into Castile under the Treaty of Torrellas
Treaty of Torrellas
The Treaty of Torrellas , signed in Zaragoza in 1304, settled the question of conquest of the Kingdom of Murcia, thitherto a dependency of the Crown of Castile, by James II of Aragon....
.
Murcia lost then its prosperity but flourished again in the 18th century, benefiting greatly from a boom in the silk industry. Many of the modern city's landmark churches and monuments date from this period of nascent mercantilism. However, this was to be followed by nearly a century of mishap. In 1810, Murcia was looted by Napoleonic troops; it then suffered a major earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1829. According to contemporaneous accounts, an estimated 6,000 people died from the disaster's effects across the province. Plague and cholera followed.
The town and surrounding area suffered badly from floods in 1651, 1879, and 1907, though the construction of a levee helped to stave off the repeated floods from the Segura. A popular pedestrian walkway, the Malecon, runs along the top of the levee.
Murcia has been the capital of the province of Murcia since 1838 and, with its creation by the central government in 1982, capital of the autonomous community (which includes only the city and the province). Since then, it has become the seventh most populated municipality in Spain, and a thriving services city.
On May 11, 2011, the city and surrounding area was struck by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
. At least 4 people were reported to have died as a result of the earthquake.
Demographics
Murcia has 433,850 inhabitants (INEInstituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
2008) making it the seventh-largest Spanish municipality by population. When adding in the municipalities of Alcantarilla, Alguazas, Beniel, Molina de Segura, Santomera, and Las Torres de Cotillas, the metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
has 564,036 inhabitants making it the twelfth most populous metropolitan area in Spain. Nevertheless, due to Murcia's large municipal territory, its population density (472 hab./km², 760 hab./sq.mi.) does not likewise rank among Spain's highest.
According to the official population data of the INE
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
, 10% of the population of the municipality reported belonging to a foreign nationality as of 2005.
Main sights
The Cathedral of MurciaCathedral of Murcia
The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia , commonly called the Cathedral of Murcia, is a church the city of Murcia, Spain...
was built between 1394 and 1465 in the Castilian Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. Its tower was completed in 1792 and shows a blend of architectural styles. The first two stories were built in 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...
style (1521–1546), while the third is Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
. The bell pavilion exhibits both Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
and Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
influences. The main façade (1736–1754) is considered a masterpiece of the Spanish Baroque
Spanish Baroque
Spanish Baroque is a strand of Baroque architecture that evolved in Spain and its provinces and former colonies, notably Spanish America and Belgium....
style.
Other noteworthy buildings in the square shared by the Cathedral (Plaza Cardenal Belluga) are the colorful Bishop's Palace (18th century) and a controversial extension to the town hall by Rafael Moneo
Rafael Moneo
José Rafael Moneo Vallés is a Spanish architect. He was born in Tudela, Spain, and won the Pritzker Prize for architecture in 1996. He studied at the ETSAM, Technical University of Madrid from which he received his architectural degree in 1961. From 1958 to 1961 he worked in the office in Madrid...
(built in 1999).
The Glorieta, which lies on the banks of the Segura River, has traditionally been the center of the town. It is a pleasant, landscaped city square that was constructed during the 18th century. The ayuntamiento (city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
) of Murcia is located in this square.
Pedestrian areas cover most of the old town of the city, which is centered around Platería and Trapería Streets. Trapería goes from the Cathedral to the Plaza de Santo Domingo, formerly a bustling market square. Located in Trapería is the Casino, a social club erected in 1847, with a sumptuous interior that includes a Moorish-style patio inspired by the royal chambers of the Alhambra
Alhambra
The Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...
near Granada. The name Plateria refers to plata (silver), as this street was the historical focus for the commerce of rare metals by Murcia's Jewish community. The other street, Traperia, refers to trapos, or cloths, as this was once the focus for the Jewish community's garment trade.
Several bridges of different styles span the river Segura, from the Puente de los Peligros
Puente de los Peligros
The Puente de los Peligros or also known as the Puente Viejo is an arched stone bridge, completed in 1742, that spans the River Segura in the city of Murcia ....
, eighteenth century stone bridge with a Lady chapel on one of its side; to modern bridges designed by Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
or Javier Manterola
Javier Manterola
Javier Manterola Armisén is a Spanish civil engineer and professor at the Escuela Superior de Ingenieros de Madrid. Manterola is particularly known for his work as a bridge designer of the engineering firm Carlos Fernández Casado...
; through others as the Puente Nuevo
Puente Nuevo (Murcia)
El Puento Nuevo or Puente de Hierro is a parabolic metallic bridge spanning the Segura River, completed in 1903 and located in the city of Murcia...
an iron bridge of the early twentieth century
Other notable places around Murcia include:
- Santa Clara monastery, Gothic and Baroque monument where is located a Museum with the Moorish palace's remains from the 13th century, called Alcázar Seguir.
- The Malecón boulevard, a former retaining wall for the Río Segura'sSeguraSegura 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...
floods. - La Fuensanta sanctuary and adjacent El Valle regional park.
- Los Jerónimos monastery (18th century).
- Romea theatre (19th century).
- Almudí Palace (17th century), a historic building with coats of arms on its façadeFacadeA facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. On its interior there are TuscanTuscan orderAmong canon of classical orders of classical architecture, the Tuscan order's place is due to the influence of the Italian Sebastiano Serlio, who meticulously described the five orders including a "Tuscan order", "the solidest and least ornate", in his fourth book of Regole generalii di...
columns, and since 1985 it hosts the city archives and usually houses exhibitions. - Monteagudo Castle (11th century).
- SalzilloFrancisco SalzilloFrancisco 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...
Museum. - San Juan de Dios church-museum, Baroque and Rococo circular church with the remains of the Moorish palace mosque from the 12th century in the basament, called Alcázar Nasir.
In the metropolitan area are also the Azud de la Contraparada reservoir and the Noria de La Ñora water wheel.
Festivals
The Holy Week processionHoly Week procession
A Holy Week procession is an event taking place in Holy Week, most often in a country with traditional Roman Catholic culture.*Palm Sunday: The day when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem....
hosted by the city is among the most famous throughout Spain. This traditional festival portrays the events which lead up to and include the Crucifixion
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
according to the New Testament. Life-sized, finely detailed sculptures by 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...
(1707–1783) are removed from their museums and carried around the city in elegant processions amid flowers and, at night, candles, pausing at stations which are meant to re-enact the final moments before the crucifixion of Jesus.
The most colorful festival in Murcia may come one week after Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
, when locals dress up in traditional huertano clothing to celebrate the Bando de la Huerta (Orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
) on Tuesday and fill the streets for the Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) parade the following Saturday.
Murcia's Three Cultures International Festival happens each May and was first organized with the intent of overcoming racism and xenophobia in the culture. The festival seeks to foster understanding and reconciliation between the three cultures that have cohabited the peninsula for centuries, if not millennia: Christians, Jews and Muslims. Each year, the festival celebrates these three cultures through music, exhibitions, symposiums and conferences.
Economy
Murcia serves as a major producer of agricultural products; it is common to find Murcia's tomatoes and lettuce, and especially lemonLemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
s and orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
s, in European supermarkets. Murcia is a producer of wines, with about 100000 acre (40,469 ha) devoted to grape vineyards. Most of the vineyards are located in Ricote
Ricote
Ricote is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia. It has a population of 1,509 and an area of 87.7 km² .-References:This article contains information from the Spanish Wikipedia article Ricote, accessed on January 10, 2008....
and Jumilla
Jumilla
Jumilla is a municipality in southeastern Spain. It is located in the province of Murcia, close to the town of Yecla.-Economy:Jumilla is home to the world's largest photovoltaic solar power farm, with an installed peak power capacity of 20 megawatts. The solar farm consists of 120,000 solar...
. Jumilla is a plateau where the vineyards are surrounded by mountains.
Murcia is a centre for industry, with many British and American companies choosing it as a location for satellite factories, such as Henry Milward & Sons
Henry Milward & Sons
Henry Milward & Sons is a British manufacturer of sewing needles..Entaco as featured on the One Show on BBC One are the suppliers of John James Needles but with the majority being imported from China to their specifications and not in Redditch as portrayed on the programme.The earliest reference...
(which manufactures surgical and knitting needles), American firms like General Electric and Paramount Park Studios.
Recently, the economy of the region is turning towards "residential tourism" in which people from northern European countries have a second home in the area. Europeans and Americans are able to learn Spanish in the academies in the town center.
The economy of Murcia is supported by fairs and congresses, museums, theatres, cinema, music, aquariums, bullfighting, restaurants, hotels, camping, sports, foreign students, and tourism.
Transportation
By planeMurcia-San Javier Airport
Murcia-San Javier Airport
Murcia-San Javier Airport is a military air base and civilian passenger airport located in San Javier, south of Murcia, Spain. It is operated by Aena , the Spanish airport authority.-Operations:The airport can receive aircraft up to the size of Boeing 757 or 767...
(MJV) is located on the edge 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....
close to the town of San Javier
San Javier, Murcia
San Javier is a small town and municipality in the autonomous community and province of Murcia in southeastern Spain. The municipality is situated at the northern end of Murcia's Mediterranean coastline, the Costa Cálida. It is best known for its international airport located there, Murcia-San...
, 45 kilometres (28 mi) southeast of Murcia. There is also an airport at the neighboring city of Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
70 kilometres (43 mi) from Murcia. Furthermore, there is a new airport in development to be located in the town of Corvera, 23 km from Murcia. The new International airport of the Region de Murcia will be privately owned, and be directed mainly at low-cost airlines.
By bus
Bus service is provided by LatBus
LatBus
LatBus is the public transportation bus system that serves Murcia, Spain, and surrounding communities....
, which operates the urban bus and other interurban services.
By tram
Tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
ways are managed by Tranvimur. As of 2007, 2 kilometres of line were available, with 4 more lines scheduled to be built.
By train
Train connections are provided by RENFE
RENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
. Murcia has a railway station called Murcia del Carmen, located in the neighborhood of the same name. Several long-distance lines link the city with Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, through Albacete
Albacete
Albacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
, as well as Valencia, and Cataluña up to Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
in France. Murcia is also the center of a local network. The line C-1 connects the city to Alicante, and the line C-2 connects Murcia to Alcantarilla
Alcantarilla
Alcantarilla is a town and municipality in southeastern Spain, in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia. The town is only 7 km away from the capital of the region, the city of Murcia, and one of its peculiarities is that it is completely surrounded by "pedanías" of the municipality...
, 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...
and Águilas
Águilas
Águilas is a municipality and seaport of southeastern Spain, in the province of Murcia. It is situated at the southern end of Murcia's Mediterranean coastline, otherwise known as the Costa Cálida, near the border with the Province of Almería....
. It also has two regional lines connecting it to Cartagena and Valencia.
Healthcare
The hospitals and other public primary healthcare centers belong to the Murcian Healthcare Service. There are three public hospitals in Murcia:- Ciudad Sanitaria Virgen de La Arrixaca in El Palmar that includes obstetricsObstetricsObstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
and paediatrics units - Hospital Reina Sofía
- Hospital Morales Meseguer
- Hospital Virgen de la Vega, owned by ASISA
Education
Murcia has two universities:- one public university: the University of MurciaUniversity of MurciaThe University of Murcia is the main university in Murcia, Spain. With 38,000 students, it is the largest university in the Región de Murcia.-History:...
, founded in 1912. - one private university: the UCAM, Saint Anthony Catholic University.
There are several high schools, elementary schools, and professional schools. Murcia has three types of schools for children: private schools such as El Limonar International School, Murcia
El Limonar International School, Murcia
El Limonar International School, Murcia - ELIS Murcia , is a private profit-making coeducational international school located in Murcia, Spain. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group, and educates children from ages 3 to 18 from more than 20 nations...
(an English language school), semi-private schools (concertado), which are private schools that receive government funding and sometimes offer religious instruction, and public schools such as Colegio Publico (CP) San Pablo or the centenary CP Cierva Peñafiel, one of the oldest ones.
The private schools and concertados can be religious (Catholic) or secular, but the public schools are strictly secular. Concertado schools fill a need by providing schools where the government isn't able to or predate the national school system.
Instituto Licenciado Cascales is one of the oldest in the city, built in 1724, and perhaps the most emblematic.
Notable people
- Muhyī al-Dīn Ibn al-‘ArabīIbn ArabiIbn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Moorish Sufi mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn `Arabī .-Biography:...
(1165–1240), SufiSufismSufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
master and author - Abul Abbas al-Mursi (1219–1286) Sufi mystic
- Diego de Saavedra FajardoDiego de Saavedra FajardoDiego de Saavedra Fajardo was a Spanish diplomat and man of letters.- Biography :He was born in Algezares, in what is now the province of Murcia....
(1584–1648), writer and diplomat - Francisco SalzilloFrancisco SalzilloFrancisco 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...
(1707–1783), Baroque sculptor - José Moñino, conde de Floridablanca (1728–1808), statesman, minister of King Charles III of SpainCharles III of SpainCharles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
- Julián Romea (1818–1863), theatre actor
- Juan de la CiervaJuan de la CiervaJuan de la Cierva y Codorníu, 1st Count of De La Cierva was a Spanish civil engineer, pilot and aeronuatical engineer. His most famous accomplishment was the invention in 1920 of the Autogiro, a single-rotor type of aircraft that came to be called autogyro in the English language...
(1895–1936), inventor of the autogyroAutogyroAn autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
, a forerunner of the helicopter - Francisco Sánchez Bautista (1925–), poet
- CharoCharoMaría del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Gutiérrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten , better known as Charo, is a Spanish-American actress, comedienne, and flamenco guitarist, best known for her flamboyant stage presence, her provocative outfits, and her trademark phrase...
(1931–), musician, actress and entertainer - Maria Teresa Chicote (1935–), scientist
- Enrique Máximo GarcíaEnrique Máximo GarcíaEnrique Máximo García was a Spanish musicologist and associated teacher at the Art History Department of Murcia University. He was also co-Director of the well known Repsol LAH Program for the Recovery of Latin American Musical Heritage, sponsored by UNESCO. In 1994, he helped to organize the...
(1954–2008), musicologist, chemistChemistA chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, investigatorDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
and historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is... - Alejandro ValverdeAlejandro ValverdeAlejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
(1980–), cyclist - Nicolás AlmagroNicolás AlmagroNicolas Almagro Sanchez Rolle is a professional Spanish tennis player, ranked 10 on the ATP World Tour.-2005:...
(1985–), tennis player - Ruth LorenzoRuth LorenzoRuth Lorenzo) is a Spanish singer notable for coming fifth in the fifth series of the British TV talent show The X Factor in 2008.Lorenzo's debut Single "Burn" entered the Spanish Singles Charts at number 16 when she released the single on the 27th of June 2011 in Spain...
(1982–), contestant in The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date... - Juan ValeraJuan Valera EspínJuan Valera Espín is a Spanish footballer who plays for Getafe CF in the Spanish first division. He operates as a midfielder or defender, on the right side of the pitch.-Club career:...
(1984–), Atlético Madrid footballer and 2010 Murcia sportsman of the year
Sport teams
- Real MurciaReal MurciaReal Murcia Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the region of Murcia. Founded in 1908, it currently plays in the second division, playing home matches at Estadio Nueva Condomina, which can hold 33,045 spectators....
— Spanish Second Division football - CF Atlético Ciudad — Segunda División BSegunda División BSegunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
(Group 2) football - CB MurciaCB MurciaClub Baloncesto Murcia, S.A.D., also known as UCAM Murcia by sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team based in Murcia, Region of Murcia, Spain. The team plays in ACB...
— Liga ACB basketball - ElPozo Murcia Turística FSElPozo Murcia Turística FSElPozo Murcia Fútbol Sala is a futsal club based in Murcia, city in the autonomous community of Region of Murcia. The club was founded in 1989 and its venue is Palacio de Deportes de Murcia with capacity of 7,500 seaters...
— futsalFutsalFutsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"... - The Hispania Racing F1 Team is also based in Murcia, and receives sponsorship from the tourist board
- CAV Murcia 2005CAV Murcia 2005Club Atlético Voleibol Murcia 2005, also known for sponsorship reason as Grupo 2002 Murcia, is a Spanish volleyball club which is playing their home matches at the Pabellón Príncipe de Asturias in Murcia....
— Superliga Femenina de VoleibolSuperliga Femenina de VoleibolThe Superliga Femenina de Voleibol ' is the top level of Spanish volleyball. The championship was founded in 1989. The administration of the league is carried out by the Real Federación Española de Voleibol...
volleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
Twin towns - sister cities
Murcia is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Lecce
Lecce
Lecce is a historic city of 95,200 inhabitants in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce, the second province in the region by population, as well as one of the most important cities of Puglia...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Grasse
Grasse
-See also:*Route Napoléon*Ancient Diocese of Grasse*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department-External links:*...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Irapuato , Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Murcia
Murcia, Negros Occidental
Murcia is a 1st class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it has a population of 71,289 people.-Culture and economy:...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
Łódź, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, since 1999