Murcia City, a brief History.
Founded in A.D. 825 by the Moorish Emir of Al-Andalus Abd Ar-Rahan II on the site of a former Roman Colony, Murcia, originally named Medinat Mursiya, has been the capital of the province of Murcia since 1838.
It is believed that its name derives from the Moorish word for Myrtle, which grows in the area although further research suggests that it may get its name from the Latin Murtae (Mulberry), which covered the landscape for many centuries.
The city lies in the centre of a low-lying fertile plain know as la Huerta and spreads out north of the Rio (river) Segura. Indeed it is this river that the Arabs took advantage of by creating a complex and indeed ingenious network of irrigation, which is still evident today.
Following the fall of Caliphate of Cordoba in 1031 control of the town passed under the rule of Seville, Toledo and Almeria. The Arab traveller, Muhammad al Idrisias, describes it in the 12th century as both highly populated and strongly fortified. Strong walls protected the town and access was limited through a limited number of gates. In 1172 the Almohades took control of Murcia, and from 1223 to 1243 it became the capital of an independent kingdom.
The Moorish reign was to last until the13th Century when Murcia joined the Castillion crown having been re-conquered in 1243 by Alfonso X of Castilla and Leon. Many of the city’s mosques were either destroyed or converted into churches during this period but the unmistakeable Moorish influence is still evident today via the few remaining Alhambra inspired patios, buildings and indeed the city’s layout of narrow streets.
By this time large numbers of immigrants from Catalonia and Provence began to settle in the city and surrounding areas, which might explain the large number of Catalan names and the indeed the Murciano’s clandestine support for F.C. Barcelona.
In 1303 by virtue of the Treaty of Torrellas, Murcia and the region was finally incorporated into Castille having been transferred to the Kingdom of Aragon in 1296. By 1358 work had begun on the magnificent Catedral de Santa Maria where a mosque had previously stood and wasn’t completed in its original Gothic form until 1465. The Acts of La Huerta (Ordenanzas de la Huerta were passed in 15th century whereby followed a sustained period of Political stability and cultural and economic growth.
The city and its surrounding areas were to suffer badly during the great flood of 1651 but by the 18th Century having been enriched by its flourishing silk and agriculture industries, the city was perhaps at its grandest. At this time the beautiful baroque facade of the Catedral de Santa Maria was built along with sumptuous palaces and homes for the nobility and the city’s wealthier residents.
In 1810 however, Murcia’s fortunes were to take a turn for the worse when it was looted by Napoleonic troops. An earthquake soon followed in 1829 killing some 6,000 people in the province. Plague and cholera followed that and by the 19th centuary the city was in freefall. Suffering badly from further flooding in 1879 and 1907 the city was to become the scene of bitter fighting in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, which saw many of its historic churches burnt down.
Today Murcia and the province are once again on the cusp of greatness. The city’s stunningly beautiful Cathedral has been restored and is considered a masterpiece of the Spanish Baroque style. The region is experiencing economic growth that is well above the national average and the Murcia’s wines are seeing an impressive increase in export figures to America rising from 1.5 million euros in 2001 to over 14 million euros in 2007 leading the leading the Washington Post to report on the provinces wine production as “Murcia’s Emerging Excellence”.
There has also been an increase of 30% spending in the area versus a national average of just 3%. International tourism has grown 18% against a national average of 2.1%, which will greatly increase when Polaris Worlds Nicklaus Golf trail is completed in 2011. A second International airport in Corvera will also be completed by this stage to deal with the 35.2% increase in passenger traffic coming through San Javier Airport. So Murcia, both city and province, long sneered at by the Spaniards themselves, looks set to recapture its former greatness and with a recent history like Murcia’s no one would begrudge them that.