If the capital of Italy, Rome, prides itself on having an open-air museum, with remains from the Roman era on almost every corner, Murcia can also offer residents and visitors, saving the distance, pieces of its Arab past while strolling through its streets, visit a museum, have a coffee, a drink, an aperitif or eat; and park your vehicle. They are remains of the 12th century wall that served as a defense for the expanding Mursiya of Ibn Mardanish, better known as the Wolf King; and that they have not always had the same luck.
According to studies carried out at that time, the defensive system that the city had in medieval times was based on strong crenellated walls marked out by towers, a prewall with arrow slits, a barbican (reinforcing structure) between the two works, a ditch on the outside of the rampart and angled doors.
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Assembly hall of the Museum of Fine Arts
In the Contraste Pavilion (where the offices, assembly hall and temporary exhibition hall are located) of the Museum of Fine Arts of Murcia (MUBAM) a piece of the defensive wall is visible. It is on Obispo Frutos street.
Wall of Santa Eulalia in Marengo street
In the neighborhood of Santa Eulalia there are several examples of visible remains of the wall, such as the Interpretation Center, glazed, where you can even follow the ongoing recovery work on these defensive walls. Also on one side of the parish.
Bar La Muralla, in Rincon de Pepe
At number 34 Calle Apóstoles, the La Muralla bar, at the Rincón de Pepe hotel, has been allowing its customers to have a snack and enjoy a piece of history for years. He was one of the first to integrate the remains into the establishment.
Taperia Vos in the Plaza de los Apóstoles
Now a tapas restaurant and before that a pizzeria, it is another example of how the past can form part of the present without implying a ‘cross’ for the development of the city and its archaeological remains.
Glorieta square car park
On the second floor there is a section of 24 meters in length, made up of a bastion or defensive bastion with a rectangular plan with a wall canvas on each side.
The Almudí rests on its walls
The Almudí Palace, built in 1629, was built on a part of the wall using it as a support for its construction. Today, already converted into an exhibition hall, it is perfectly visible.
Wall in Verónicas, in full repair
Next to the emblematic Verónicas Market, this section was recovered from the interior of the old Verónicas convent, and it was decided to leave it outdoors after its demolition. Today it is undergoing restoration works.
Side of the hermitage of Pilar
The side of the hermitage of El Pilar, on the street of the same name, is another example of conservation through use. In the street of the same name, inside the wall, the Glass Door was raised.
Jose Maria Bautista Hernandez Square
The entrance to the piece of fortification in Sagasta street, has a section that can be seen walking, and whose walkway has just been opened after completing the arrangement.
Sagasta street corner Santa Teresa
It is the latest acquisition for the enjoyment of Murcians and tourists of a branch of the Arab wall. It was discovered when starting to build a building, and this is the final visible solution given by the developer.
Bar Rey Lobo, in Julián Romea square
“Going down those stairs allows you to enter the treasure that Ibn Mardanis already lived in the Mursiya of the 12th century.” This is how this cocktail bar that has been open for a few months in the basement of Plaza Romea is advertised.
They were all standing until the needs of urban expansion gradually absorbed and eliminated them over the centuries, reaching the 18th century, in which Murcia already became an open city. From that moment on, the remains of the defense fortification gradually disappeared, or if there was more luck, they have integrated into the life of the city. The remains on display here are notable remains, but not the only ones, which today can be seen, for example, in the assembly hall and the Museum of Fine Arts of Murcia, located on Calle Obispo Frutos, where it remains surrounded by other art exhibits. with a few years less to live.
This is where our tour begins, which, a few meters further to the south, turns towards the Santa Eulalia neighbourhood, where you can enjoy various samples of what this medieval wall was (on one side of the church, and in the Center de Interpretación La Muralla, where they are in full archaeological excavation). It’s time to have a snack, although it’s better if it’s after four in the afternoon, at the La Muralla bar, in the Rincón de Pepe hotel. As its name indicates, it is a tribute to the fortification.
We continue towards the Plaza de los Apóstoles, and you may want to eat something more substantial: in the Vos tapas and surrounded by history. Continuing the walk, we can take a jump towards the riverbank, where we find, in front of the Glorieta, the parking lot of the same name. On the second floor of the basement, there are visible pieces of the fortification. We leave and continue towards the west, where, once again crossing to the other sidewalk from the river side, we arrive at the Almudí Palace, built on this wall, and a few more steps forward continuing towards the west, one of the most significant examples in the air free: the remains of Verónicas. They were inside what was the convent of the same name, and they appeared when the building was demolished. It is currently under restoration.
Within the historic quarter, on Calle del Pilar, the hermitage of the same name sports one of its walled sides, while nearby, on Calle Sagasta, there are two examples: the one with the passageway to Plaza José Mª Bautista, and in the new one residential building adjoining Santa Teresa street. The tour ends, and after a walk to the Romea theater, in the square it is time to have a cocktail surrounded by history in the Rey Lobo bar.
#walk #views #medieval #wall #Murcia