﻿HI 



MURCIA. 



MtTBCIA. 



MS 



marVilas, roflk-crjctKl, and gypmin, are found in vmrions parts of Um 

 pvoTinov* 



Rirtn. — ^Tbare k only one rirer-iyrtMB in Mnrcia, tl>»t of the Rio 

 Scgun and ita affloentn. The Sapira rim at thr soutbrrn end of 

 tlM Siarra da Sagnra, and boa a northern cotirvp for about 50 milcii, 

 and in thia pait of ita oourio reesircB tho Tairilln on the aastem bnnk. 

 It than taama to the caat, and Itarin^; receivMl the Mnndo fWim La 

 Ifandia, takaa a aoutbam eouras, receiving on ita we«tem banic the 

 Mor«tm,tlM CataTnra, and the Quipnr. It then takes an enatem 

 eoorae, |iua«a by the dty of Murria, brlow which it reorirea the 

 Sa n goBMrn Orom the aonth, and Boon afterwarda enters the prorinee of 

 Taleaoia, where it Calla into the aea below th« Albufera de kicbe. 



CUm a l t, SdU, m»d Prodmetioni. — Tlia climate of Hurcia is ▼aried. 

 SlOMna are not anflnqoant in the spriag ; the aummera are temperate 

 OB the aea-eoaat and among the mountaiDa, bnt intensely hot in the 

 pkina, the mercuiy often rising above 100° Fahr. in the shade; the 

 •utnraoi are ddightful, and the wint«ra are so mild thnt ice and 

 ■low are almcet unknown. Clouds and fogs are rare, and the sky 

 ii almost always blue and bright ; but on the other band rain very 

 ■ddom fklls. 



Except in the vicinity of the Rio Segura and its tributaries, the 

 ■oO is generally parched for want of water, and in many parts is 

 ■fanoat a deaert ; but in the rivei^valleys and wherever irrigation can 

 be abnndantly supplied, thn fertility is ezoessive, especially of those 

 districts which are called Huertas, or pardens. A large portion of 

 the vale of Muroia is of this character. This portion Is about 16 miles 

 long, extending south-west and north-east from the city of Jliircin, and 

 7 or 8 miles wide, is watered by the Salii^nera and the Segura, and 

 bounded by mountain rangea on both sides. It is divided into fields 

 by embankmenta about two feet high, to assist the process of irri- 

 gation, and by rows of mtilberry-trees and various kinds of shrubs. 

 The whole of the vale may be seen from the top of the tower of the 

 cathedral of Murcia, whence it presenta the appearance of n garden 

 extending as far aa the eye can reach, luxuriantly green even in wint<'r, 

 ■nd producing wlieat, flax, pulse, and vegetables, interspersed with 

 fig-trees, orango-treea, and stately palms. The vale of Lorca is com- 

 paratively small, but is rendered very fertile by an .artificinl system 

 of irrigation supplied from a vast reservoir of water called the Pantano 

 de Lorca. This reservoir was formed by damming bnck a stream 

 which ran through a narrow gorge between mountains, and after- 

 wards fell into the Sangonem. A dyke of stone was constructed of 

 enormous bright and thickness, and thus a deep lake was formed. 

 The dyke was finished in 178B. It was quite filled with water in 

 February 1S02, but on the 2nd of April it gave way, doing a vast 

 amount of damage throughout the whole extent of the vales of Lorca 

 and Hurcia. It has since been repaired, and the water is distributed 

 in such quantities as are required. 



The vegetable productions are wheat, barley, rye, rice, maize, flax, 

 vegetables, and fruit of superior quality, particularly oranges, lemons, 

 melona, and pomegranates. The most common trees are the mul- 

 berry, the olive, and the carob ; evergreen and other oaks are in some 

 parts numerous. Th'! pines on the Sierra de Segura form the lai^rst 

 forest in the south of Spain. The oleander, ointux, and other odorife- 

 rous ahmba, grow wild, and the prickly pear and American aloo 

 flourish luxuriantly. Barilla is ma<le on the sea-coast. Rich wines, 

 oil, and ailk are prodnccl in oonfidemble qnantitisa. The esparto- 

 rush growa spentaneoasly in the uncultivated districts, and is worked 

 np into baskets, mate, ropes, and other useful articlea. The farming 

 ■tock arc prinoipally riieep and goata, homed cattle being rare. The 

 pigs are vary large and well fattened ; they are fed on the acorn of 

 the ilex-oak and other produce of the forests. Qame is abundant. 

 Wolves, foxea, and wild boars iuhabit the mountains. 



The minerals are lead, silver, sulphur, and nitre. The lead and 

 ailver-mines are mostly near the ooaat, between Cartagena and the 

 province of Granada. 



The articlea exported from the province of Murcia mostly pass 

 through the port of Cartagena. They consist of wheat, boriey, maixe, 

 oil, barilla, red pepper, eapwto-mab, and raw and manufactured silk. 

 The imports are aalt-Sah, augmr, ooooa, cofliee, rioe, iron, and contra- 

 band artidaa of hardware, linens, woollena, esrthenwan', nnd tobacco. 



Of mannfacturea there are very few, and of none enough to supply 

 the eonaanption of the provinoe. The silk-manufaoture, once large, 

 baa now almost osaaed. It ia chiefly the product of hand-labour, and 

 Mmot cowpato with the silk gooda of Valencia, which are mostly 

 prodaeed by maeUoery. Oood wineaare made ; but the nianufactum 

 of brandy, ooarae linen, hemp, flax, cutlery, and gunpowder, are 

 inferior in omJity and not eonaidsrable in quantity. 



I*«»»«.— The elty of Mnreia is the capital of the anoient province as 

 wall as of the modem. fMimctA.] AlbaceU, 85 miles K.N.W. from 

 Hurcia, to the capital of the modem province of Albaeete. From its 

 central poaittaa, whenee m«da branch to Murcia, Valencia, and Madrid, 

 K is a place of great trafflo. It stands in an extensive plain, which is 

 trriptad bv a oaoal, and prodaoea large quantities of com and aafiron. 

 The town to teaons for iu cutlery, onane indeed, but such as aatisAes 

 the Spaniard, especially the long pointed two-edged pufial, or dasger- 

 knife. The population to about 19,000. Alhuma, 22 miles ^wTrnm 

 Mnreia, to treqaentad for its warm baths. There U a Moorish caatle 

 te nitM. The pepulaUoB to about 7000. Almataa, 88 milsa E. by B. 



from Albaeete, is a well-built and tolerably flourishing town. The vaga, 

 or plain, is irrigated by means of the Pantano of A Ifers. s fine reservoir 

 of water, and the produce i" abundant. T ' nt 7000. 



Omraco, 45 miles W. by X. from Mui •wn at 



the base of the soutli-oru>tem side of \h ■■ ">» 



northern bank of the Rio Caravaca. 1' li 



castle, a college, and some conventual i m 



about 10,000. CiartojfBa is the chief port of 



OPNA.] ChineiiUla, 11 miles S.K. from Alb: y 



ancient walla, and has an old castle. There are manufactures of coarse 

 cloth. The population in 1845 was 12,609. Oiaa{Ziaa), 87 milea 



N.W. from Murcia, is situated near the north bank ''f ''•- " Tt 



has manufiictures of coarse cloth, and in 1845 contr. ,i 



of 6917. /ifUin, C>2 mWes N.W. from Murcia, is si ly 



district not for from the eastern bank of the Mnndo. it is tolerably 

 well built; most of the houses are painted, and the streets are well 

 paved. It contains a fine old parish church, and there are remains of 

 a Roman fortress. The population in 1845 was PS 14. J«»ii7/a, 40 milea 

 K.N.W. from Murcia, stands at the foot of a hill which is crowned by 

 an old fortress. It is a bishop's see, is tolerably well biiilt, and ha« 

 manufiictures of fire-arms, earthenware, and tiles. The population in 

 1846 was 7362. Jjorca, 46 miles S.W. from Murcia, ia sitimt<'<l on the 

 south bank of the Sani^nera, in a beautiful and highly-cultivated vale, 

 with mountains on both sides. The streets of the old part of the town 

 are irregular, steep, and narrow, but clean ; the new part hai wider 

 streets more regularly laid out. The castle on the Monte de Oro was 

 formerly very rtrong, and is still a fine specimen of a fortress of the 

 middle ages. The long lines of walls aru the worit of the Moors. The 

 town contains a collegiate church, a gothic church, a bishop's palace, 

 a college, and two hospitals. There are manuihctures of linen-cloth, 

 saltpetre, and thread. The population in 1845 was 40,489. Muln, 25 

 miles W. from Murcia, is resorted to for the warm mineral baths in 

 the neighbourhood. It has some manufactures of pottery, and con- 

 tains a popuUtion of about 6500. Seffum de la Sierra, 95 miles W. N.W. 

 from Murcia, is situated between the Rio Quadalimar and the Sierra 

 de Sepiira. The population is about 2500, who are mostly employed 

 in the lead- silver- and copper-mines in the vicinity. Totana, 30 miles 

 S. W. fVom Murcia, is one of the head-quarters of the gipsies of Mnrcia. 

 It contains a fine fountain supplied by an aqueduct, and has some 

 manufactures of linen, earthenware, brandy, and saltpetre. The popu- 

 lation in 184 5 was 8500. VilUna, 50 miles K.N.E. from Mnreia, standi 

 near the foot of Monte San Cristoval, which is crowned with a castle 

 now in ruins. It contains a town-ball, palace, hos]>ital, barracka, and 

 brandy distilleries. The streets of the town are narrow and winding, 

 but it has an extensive modem suburb of better architecture. The 

 population in 184.') waa S224. Yeela, 48 miles N. from Murcia, stands 

 at the foot of the Cerro de Calvario, which is crowned by a ruined 

 Moorish castle. It has distilleries of brandy, and contains a population 

 of 9400. 



nittory. — Murcia was tbo part of Spain flrat colonised by tho 

 Carthaginians, who, about B.C. 202, founded New Carthage, now 

 Cartagena. [Cartagexa.] It passed, vrith the rest of the peninsula, 

 under the dominion of the Romans and (Joths. JVora the Ooths it 

 was conquered in 552 by Justinian, emperor of the Bast, and it 

 remained in the hands of tho Greeks till 624, when it was recovered 

 by the Gothic king Suintilba. In 712 it was conquered by Abdalans, 

 eon of Huza, the Arab invader of Spain. It continued subject to tho 

 khalifs of Cordova till 1144, when, after the breaking up of that 

 kh;ilifate, it fell under the dominion of the' kings of Granada ; but in 

 1221 waa re-annexed to Cordova. In 1239 it was raised into a distinct 

 kingdom by Hudiel, who the following year submitted to Ferdinand 

 tho Saint, king of Castilla, con.'enting to pay tribute on condition of 

 being allowed to retain the crown for life. In 1264 he endeavoured 

 to r»ain liis independence, but was conquered and dethroned in 1266 

 by Alonso X. of Castilla and James I. of Aragon. Murcia ever after- 

 wants continued in the poesession of the Christians. 



(Madoz, Diccionario Ofografieo de EtjiaAa ; Ijsborde, Itinirairt 

 Detcriplif de T Etpngnt : Townscnd, Journey through Spain; Cook, 

 Sketchet in ilpain ; Ford, Handbook of Spain ; Inglis, Spain in 1830; 

 Noskins, Spain at it i», 1 851 ; Mariana, Hittoria Omeral dt RipaHa ; 

 Conde, Lot Arabet en BtpnAa.) 



MURCIA, a city of Spain, capital of the ancient kingdom and 

 province of Mnrcia, and of the modem province of the same name, is 

 situated in 88" 2' N. Int., V 14' W. long., 230 miles S.E. from Madrid. 

 The population in 1845 was 43,488. It stands on the northern or left 

 bank of the Segura, a little above the junction of the Sangonm^. 

 The beautiful garden-like vale is described under the province. Tho 

 approach to tho city fW)m Lores is by a wide avenue four miles long, 

 bordered with trees, and terminated by two lofty towers of one of the 

 churches. A fine bridge, built in 1720, crosses the Segura, and con- 

 nects the city with a suburb on the right bank of tlie river. 



Murcia is the see of a bishop, siifl°n>!^n to the archbishop of Toledo, 

 The city waa built liy tho Moors out of materials of the Roman Murgi. 

 It waa formerly walled, but is now open. The street* me oenorally 

 narrow, but clean, and here and there small squares < filled 



with palms, cypresses, and orange- and lemon-trees, pi venti- 



lation and gratify the eye. The houses also, being puiiitnl in various 

 colours, mostly blue, pink, and yellow, add to the picturesque eflect. 



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