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MURCIA

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Originally appearing in Volume V19, Page 33 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MURCIA , the See also:

capital of the See also:Spanish See also:province of Murcia; on the See also:river See also:Segura, 25 M. W. of the Mediterranean See also:Sea. Pop. (1900), 111,539. Murcia is connected by See also:rail with all parts of See also:Spain, and is an important See also:industrial centre, See also:sixth in respect of See also:population among the cities of the See also:kingdom. It has been an episcopal see since 1.291. It is built nearly in the centre of a See also:low-lying fertile See also:plain, known as the huerta or See also:garden of Murcia, which includes the valleys of the Segura and its right-See also:hand tributary the Sangonera, and is surrounded by mountains. Despite the proximity of the sea, the See also:climate is subject to See also:great See also:variations, the summer See also:heat being severe, while frosts are See also:common in See also:winter. The See also:city is built mainly on the See also:left See also:bank of the Segura, which curves See also:north-eastward after receiving the Sangonera below Murcia, and falls into the Mediterranean about 30 M. N.E. A See also:fine See also:stone See also:bridge of two See also:arches gives See also:access to the suburb of See also:San Benito, which contains the See also:bull-See also:ring. As a See also:rule the streets are broad, straight and planted with avenues of trees, but the Calle de Platerfa and Calle de la Traperfa, which contain many of the See also:principal shops, are more characteristically Spanish, being lined with old-fashioned balconied houses, and so narrow that wheeled See also:traffic is in most parts impossible.

In summer these thoroughfares are shaded by awnings. The Malecon, or See also:

embankment, is a fine See also:promenade skirting the left bank of the Segura; the river is here crossed by a See also:weir and supplies See also:power.to several See also:silk-See also:mills. The principal square is the Arenal or Plaza de la Constitucion, planted with See also:orange trees and adjoining the Glorieta See also:Park The See also:cathedral, dating from 1388-1467, is the See also:work of many architects; in the See also:main it is See also:late See also:Gothic, but a See also:Renaissance See also:dome and a See also:tower 48o ft. high were added in 1521, while a Corinthian See also:facade was erected in the 18th See also:century. There are some See also:good paintings and fine See also:wood-See also:carving in the interior. Other noteworthy buildings are the colleges of San F ulgencio and San Isidro, the bishops' See also:palace, the See also:hospital of San Juan de Dios, the Moorish Alhondiga, or See also:grain warehouse, the buildings of the municipal and provincial See also:councils and the Contraste, which is adorned with sculptured coats-of-arms, and was originally designed to contain See also:standard weights and ti1X. 4measures; it has become a picture-See also:gallery. There are two training See also:schools for teachers, a provincial See also:institute and a museum. Since 1875 the industrial importance of Murcia has steadily increased. Mulberries (for silkworms), oranges and other fruits are largely cultivated in the huerta, and the silk See also:industry, which See also:dates from the See also:period of Moorish rule, is still carried on. Manufactures of woollen, See also:linen and See also:cotton goods, of See also:saltpetre, See also:flour; See also:leather and hats, have been established in more See also:modern times, and Murcia is the See also:chief See also:market for the agricultural produce of a large See also:district. A numerous See also:colony of See also:gipsies has settled in the See also:west of the city. Murcia was an Iberian See also:town before the Punic See also:Wars, but its name then, and under See also:Roman rule, is not known, though some have tried to identify it with the Roman Vergilia.

To the See also:

Moors, who took See also:possession See also:early in the 8th century, it was known as Medinat Mursiya. Edrisi described it in the 12th century as populous and strongly fortified. After the fall of the See also:caliphate of See also:Cordova it passed successively under the rule of See also:Almeria, See also:Toledo and See also:Seville. In 1172 it was taken by the See also:Almohades, and from 1223 to 1243 it became the capital of an See also:independent kingdom. The Castilians took it at the end of this period, when large- See also:numbers of immigrants from north-eastern Spain and See also:Provence settled in the town; See also:French and Catalan names are still not uncommon. Moorish princes continued to rule in name over this mixed population, but in 1269 a rising against the suzerain, See also:Alphonso the See also:Wise, led to the final See also:incorporation of Murcia (which then included the See also:present province of See also:Albacete) into the kingdom of See also:Castile. During the See also:War of the Spanish See also:Succession See also:Bishop Luis de Belluga defended the city against the archducal See also:army by flooding the huerta. In 18,o and I&12 it was attacked by the French under See also:Marshal See also:Soult. It suffered much from floods in 1651, 1879 and 1907, though the construction of the Malecon has done much to keep the Segura within its own channel. In 1829 many buildings, including the cathedral, were damaged by an See also:earthquake.

End of Article: MURCIA

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