Cartagena () is a mediterranean city and
naval station in the
Region of Murcia, southeast of
Spain.
Cartagena has been the capital of the
Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the Mediterranean since the arrival of the
Spanish Bourbons in the eighteenth century. As far back as the sixteenth century it was one of the most important naval ports in
Spain, together with
Ferrol in the North.
It is a walled town and has a fine harbour defended by forts. In the time of
Philip II of Spain, it was a major naval seaport of Spain. It is still an important naval seaport, the main military haven of
Spain, and there is a big naval shipyard.
Cartagena had a population of 211,286 in
2007, making it the second largest city in the Region, the 6th among the non-province capitals of Spain, and the 24th overall.
Geography and climate
Geography and relief
thumb|210px|left|Cartagena's Harbour seen from Concepcion's Castle.The city of Cartagena is located in Spain, specifically in the southeast of Spain, in the
Region of Murcia.
Cartagena constitutes a great plane inclined with limited direction NW-SE at the north and the northwest by pre-coastal mountain ranges (Carrascoy, El Puerto, Los Villares, Columbares and Escalona), and at the south and southwest by coastal mountain ranges (El Algarrobo, La Muela, Pelayo, Gorda, La Fausilla y Minera, with its last spurs in
Cabo de Palos). The dominant materials in the composition of the land are sedimentary, like limestone, and metamorphic, like slate, marble, etc.
The Old Town is limited by five small hills (Molinete, Monte Sacro, Monte de San José, Despeñaperros and Monte de la Concepción) following the example of
Rome. In the past there were an inner sea between the hills called the Estero that eventually dried up, on which were built the "Ensanche" (Expansion or New Town), at the beginning of the 20th Century.
thumb|140px|right|Lighthouse of Cabo de PalosThe urban area is delimited or crossed by several watercourses, some of which go deep into the urban network during great part of their courses.
Climate
There is a predominance of warm and semi-arid climate.
The marine position smooths out the temperatures, although the precipitations hardly surpass 300 annual mm.
The annual average temperature goes up to around the 20°C. The coldest month is January with an average of 12°C. In August, the warmest month, the average temperature is of 35°C. The wind constitutes one of the more important climatic factors of the region.
Environment
Despite the intense mining, tourist and industrial exploitation that have suffered for centuries, the territory around Cartagena city hosts an extraordinary natural wealth and diversity, with an high degree of botanical endemic species. Part of its influence area is protected with different statuses of protection.
Flora
180px|thumb|right|One of the various islets of Escombreras.Cartagena’s coastal mountains concentrate one of the largest botanical biodiversities of the
Iberian Peninsula. There are present both European and African species, especially the Iberian-African starvation only present in southern coasts of Spain (mostly in provinces of
Murcia and
Almería), together North Africa. Stands out the
tetraclinis articulata or
Sandarac (sabina mora o ciprés de Cartagena—literally
Cartagena's cypress in Spanish) endemic to
Morocco,
Algeria,
Tunisia,
Malta, and Cartagena, growing at relatively low altitudes in a hot, dry subtropical Mediterranean climate.
Some species are seriously endangered like the siempreviva de Cartagena (Limonium carthaginense), the rabogato del Mar Menor (Sideritis marmironensis), the Zamarrilla de Cartagena (Teucrium carthaginense), the manzanilla de escombreras (Anthemis Chrysantha), the garbancillo de Tallante (Stragalus nitidiflorus) and the jara de Cartagena (Cistus heterophyllus carthaginensis).
Fauna
180px|thumb|right|Coral reefs in CartagenaBetween the animal species it is necessary to emphasize some threatened or endangered ones like the
peregrine falcon, the
Eurasian eagle-owl, the
golden eagle and the
Bonelli's eagle, the
Spur-thighed Tortoise, the
Greater Horseshoe Bat and, mainly, the
Spanish toothcarp, an endemic fish from south-eastern Spain. In addition, the presence of the
common chameleon (the only chameleon in Europe) has been documented for about 30 years, not being clear if it is a native or introduced species. Besides the previous ones, there are also present the
greater flamingo, the
red fox, the
European rabbit, the
European badger, the
Beech marten, the
common genet, the
wildcat and the
wild boar.
Protected areas
- Mar Menor, a salty lagoon separated from the Mediterranean sea by a sand bar 22km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m. It has a surface area of nearly 170km², a coastal length of 70km, and warm and clear water with relatively high salinity, which does not exceed 7m in depth.
thumb|205px|Natural Park of Calblanque.It belongs to four municipalities including Cartagena. In 1994 it was included on the list of the
Ramsar Convention (nº706) for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. It is also a one of the
Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) by the
United Nations.
Its five volcanic islands (Perdiguera, Mayor or del Barón, del Ciervo, Redonda and del Sujeto) just like the
Carmolí and
San Ginés mountains, the
Hita and
Amoladora beaches, the
Lo Poyo salt marsh and the salt mines of
Marchamalo are protected as well.
- Islands and Islets of the Mediterranean coast, including Grossa Island (belonging to the municipality of San Javier, Hormigas Islands, Palomas Islands and Escombreras Islands, some of them also designed as Special Protection Area.
History
Ancient history
thumb|left|220px|The Roman Theatre of Carthago Nova, Cartagena.The town was originally named
Mastia. Possessing one of the best harbors in the Western Mediterranean, it was re-founded by the Carthaginian general
Hasdrubal in 228 BC as
Carthago Nova (New Carthage), for the purpose of serving as a stepping-off point for the conquest of
Spain. The Roman general
Scipio Africanus conquered it in 209 BC.
Julius Caesar gave the town
Latin Rights, and
Octavian renamed it in his honor as the colony
Colonia Iulia Victrix N.C.thumb|157px|Molino del Campo de CartagenaIn
298 Diocletian constitued a new roman province in Hispania called
Carthaginensis and settled the capital in this city. It remained important until it was destroyed by the
Vandals in AD 435. During the Roman period, it was the site of major
silver mines, yielding revenue of 25,000
drachmae daily. It was known also for the production of
garum, a fermented fish sauce, and for
esparto grass.
Modern history
Cartagena was ruled, after
Roman sovereignty, successively by the
Vandals (409-425),
Visigoths (425-550 and 624-714),
Byzantines (551-624),
Umayyads (714-756),
Caliphate of Córdoba (756-1031),
Taifa of Denia (1031-1076),
Taifa of Zaragoza (1076-1081),
Taifa of Tortosa (1081-1092),
Almoravids (1092-1145),
Almohads (1145-1229) and
Taifa of Murcia (1229-1245) before
Aragonese conquest in 1245. At the moment Cartagena comprises part of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and is the seat of the Regional Assembly (Murcia’s parliament).
232px|thumb|left|Panoramic view of Cartagena.Demographics
Cartagena has 211,286 inhabitants (
INE 2007) making it the 24th Spanish municipality by population (6th among the non-capitals). 182,021 people live in the urban area and 39,840 in the several satellite quarters.
According to the official population data of the
INE, 12.75% of the population of the municipality had a foreign nationality as of 2007.
Its metropolitan area includes the municipalities of
La Unión,
Fuente Álamo de Murcia,
Los Alcázares,
San Javier,
Torre Pacheco and
San Pedro del Pinatar, and have a sum of 332,035 inhabitants.
Tourism in Cartagena
Cartagena's City Hall
Thanks to its strategic position on the Mediterranean, Cartagena has been inhabited by many different cultures which have left their mark on its rich cultural heritage during a glorious and turbulent history.
The “Cartagena, Port of Cultures” initiative was created to allow visitors to enjoy a wide range of activities and visits, discovering the cultural wealth and rich history of the city. It’s one of the several projects to energize the tourist possibilities of this potential major cultural destination, frequently overshadowed by the mass-tourism due to the proximity of several holiday resorts, and the refinery and the industrial development which yielded a bad reputation to the city because of pollution, now fortunately eradicated.
Archaeological Sites
180px|thumb|left|Roman Ruins in CartagenaAlthough there are some ruins from the Carthaginian ages, like the remains of the
Punic rampart (built in 227 B.C. with the foundation of the city), most of its oldest monuments date from the ages of the
Roman Empire when Cartagena flourished.
Among its numerous Roman remains stands out the recently restored
Roman theatre of Carthago Nova that is one of the
landmarks of the city. Its building works started at the end of the I Century B.C. The
Roman Theater museum was officially opened for the first time recently.
Other roman remains could be found on several buildings and centres for interpretation, including the
Roman colonnade, the
House of Fortune, the
Decumanus and the
Augusteum.
The
Torre Ciega was built by the Romans for burials rights, and it formed part of the Necropolis.
upright|thumb|left|Santa Elena TowerThe
Roman Amphitheatre (I century A.D.) lies where the now abandoned Bullring was built, but only some of the surrounding walls and part of the rooms under the stands are still visible.
Besides the Roman heritage, the archaeological sights include the remains of the
Santa María la Vieja Cathedral irreversibly destroyed during the
Spanish Civil War. It dates from the end of the XIII century. A decorated floor of a Roman house of the I century B.C. can be found in the crypt.
Also a
Byzantine rampart can be found, closer the Roman theater and the Cathedral.
The
Concepción Castle (now Centre for Interpretation of the History of Cartagena) was reconstructed in the XIII century using big structures from the Amphitheater.
Apart from the Roman Theater museum there are two important archaeological museums as well, including the
Municipal Archaeological museum and the also recently opened
Arqua (National Museum of Maritime Archaeology).
Baroque and Neo-classical buildings
The
Campus Muralla del Mar an old military hospital was one of the first works carried out after the transformation of the city into the main Spanish naval base in the Mediterranean, and is now the seat of the
Polytechnic University. In the vicinity there is the
Autopsy theater which is where anatomy classes used to be given. The touristic rehabilitation offers the patrimonial interpretation of the nearby buildings at the time of its construction.
The Gran Hotel
These buildings prove the big military importance of Cartagena. Other Several baroque or neo-classical buildings of military origin include the
Charles III rampart, the
Arsenal, the
Midshipman's Barracks (academy and naval barracks), the
Naval Headquarter Palace (built in 1740 and subsequently reformed) and the
Artillery Headquarters which also houses the Military Museum.
There are many baroque or neo-classical Churches in Cartagena that worth a visit, including the
El Carmen church,
Santo Domingo church and
Santa Maria de Gracia church.
The
Molina House with an austere appearance houses the Centre of Arts and Craft.
Modernist and eclectic buildings
It's surprising the great amount of
art nouveau buildings from early 20th century, when the Bourgeoisie settled down in the city due to the growth of the local mining industry.
Stand out the beautiful
City Hall, the
Grand Hotel, the
Casino (all of them among the city's landmarks). The
Railway Station has some outstanding iron doors and columns on the façade, and inside can still be seen the original ticket office, doorframe, ceiling and the lamps.
Other modernist or eclectic houses include the
Clares House, the
Aguirre Palace (which houses the Regional Museum of Modern Art), the
Cervantes House (relatively big in comparison with other modernist buildings), the
Llagostera House, the
Pedreño Palace, the
Dorda House, the
Zapata House and the
Urban Expansion Company House.
Several charming lively streets cover this area, like
Calle Mayor (High street), the major pedestrian and commercial street of the city, full of boutiques and bars with typical "tapas", the
Carmen Street, the
Puertas de Murcia street and many more.
The
Caridad church is one of the most important churches of Cartagena since it's the temple of the patron saint of Cartagena. The interior is dominated by a dome, similar to the Roman pantheon of Agrippa. There are also several outstanding sculptures by the famous murcian sculptor
Francisco Salzillo and his school.
Contemporary route
235px|thumb|right|The [[Isaac_Peral#The_Peral_submarine|Peral Submarine]]
The
Civil War shelter-museum lies on the galleries excavated out the Concepción hill (where is the Castle) to serve as air-raid shelters during the
Spanish Civil War.
Many naval and military attractions belong to this route like the
Naval Museum and the world-famous
Peral Submarine invented by Isaac Peral (born in Cartagena) that was launched in 1888 as one of the first
U-Boats ever. It's shown on the Cartagena's promenade.
The
Monument to the Heroes of Santiago de Cuba and Cavite (1923) is a war memorial erected in honour of the Spanish sailors who died in combat with the
US Navy in waters off
Cavite and
Santiago off the
Philippine and
Cuban coasts.
Other attractions include the
Lift-Gangway near the former Bullring and the Concepcion hill, the
Regional Assembly (the Parliament of the Region of Murcia) which façade has architectural influences of the
Renaissance while maintaining a modernist air (typical in the Levant), and the
Carmen Conde-Antonio Moliner museum that reconstructs the atmosphere in which these poets from Cartagena created part of their important works.
left|thumbnail|210px|Casa Maestre.Tourist transport
Tourist Catamaran covers the Port showing the defense system and the port activity. It's possible to stop at the
Christmast fortress that is a lighthouse and the Centre for Interpretation of the Defensive Architecture of Cartagena.
Tourist bus covers a panoramic route which in addition takes passengers to the key sites of their tourist trip.
Beaches
242px|thumb|right|PromenadeAlthough the city itself is only Port, its ample municipal extension includes part of
La Manga del Mar Menor (the other part belonging to the municipality of
San Javier), part of the
Mar Menor, and part of the murcian mediterranean coast. Cartagena holds the record of the Spanish town with more beaches certified with the “Q for Quality” by the ICTE (
Instituto para la Calidad Turística Española), with a total of ten, which are: Cala Cortina, Islas Menores, playa Honda beach, Mar de Cristal, Cala del Pino, Cavanna beach, Barco Perdido beach, el Galúa beach, Levante beach and La Gola beach.
The wild and beautiful El Portús beach is also near the Cartagena’s municipal district.
242px|thumb|right|El Portus nude beach, in CartagenaFestivals
- Cartagena's Holy Week, declared of international touristic interest
- Carthaginians and Romans, declared of national touristic interest. The main festivities of the city, a colourful Carthaginian and Roman parade full of events that reminds the famous Punic Wars and the conquest of the city by both Empires.
See also
- Isaac Peral Cartagena inventor whose submarine is mounted on the waterfront
