Prehistory and Antiquity in the Region of Murcia, Spain
PREHISTORY AND ANTIQUITY IN THE REGION OF MURCIA, SPAIN
PREHISTORY
Our region, situated between Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean, has been inhabited since the earliest days of prehistory. Evidence from this long period demonstrates the population of the region since the early Paleolithic.
The Paleolithic is the period in which the long process of humanization develops, with life based on hunting and the use of stone tools. A phalanx of a little finger from a man (Homo habilis) found in the Cueva Victoria in Cartagena is considered the oldest human remain in the region. It belongs to the Lower Paleolithic and is estimated to be over a million years old. In this stage, as in all of European prehistory, there is little information, only some remains of roughly hewn stones.
In the Middle Paleolithic (Neanderthal man), typical flint tools are found at various points in the region: Red Cave in Cartagena, Totana (Cueva de Hernández Ros, Mastic source).
From the Upper Paleolithic (Cro-Magnon Homo sapiens), there are no longer remains of materials in our area, but there are cave paintings and portable art objects from that period. The archaeological findings are made of stone, bone, etc. Notable sites include the Cueva Hernández Ros in Totana, the Red Cave in Cartagena, and Lorca.
The Mesolithic period (also called Epipaleolithic) and the Neolithic (or Chalcolithic) produced pictorial samples preserved in some rock shelters such as Mount Arabí in Yecla, Cueva del Peliciego and Cueva de los Morceguillos in Jumilla, Cieza, Moratalla, Calasparra, and Cehegín. All are sites in hilly and mountainous areas, and they coexist with other more naturalistic paintings of a schematic style, indicating that these “sanctuaries” were used at different times from 8000 to 3000 BC. Although these paintings were not as magically ritualistic as those of the Paleolithic, the fact is that throughout the ancient world, images had a strong meaning and were granted a power and strength above the normal.
Neolithic pottery remains are scarce, rather coarse, and decorated with impressions in soft clay (cardial ceramics). There are some remains of megaliths (large stone monuments made in honor of the dead) and cave paintings of a schematic style, as shown in the cave south of Mount Arabí in Yecla. During this period, the great revolution of mankind occurs: the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer to settled farmer and rancher. Apparently, it was in the area of Almería where the Spanish Neolithic began, but there are no significant examples of this stage here.
Our region achieved a more important role with the use of metals, due to its mineral wealth, especially with the Argar culture, since its deposits of tin, copper, and silver became a focus of attraction for metallurgical people. They taught the indigenous inhabitants of this area alloying and casting techniques. The Argar culture, which reached its overall development from Almería, stands out in our region. Argar man, apart from metalworking, was also dedicated to agriculture and livestock, using both bronze and stone tools. This culture began around 2000 BC. Villages stood on high ground, ridges, and hillsides, and less frequently on flatlands. The houses were rectangular and arranged along narrow cobbled streets. The dead were buried in the basements of the houses in cists, vats, or pits, clothed and in a fetal position. The houses also served as workshops where flax was woven, wheat and grain were ground, and esparto grass, straw, and animal skins were used for making shoes.
Argar villages abound in almost every region: Monteagudo, Abanilla, Archena, Cieza, Yecla, Jumilla, Mazarrón, Valle Medio del Guadalentín, and to a lesser extent in the area of Cartagena.
The pottery is not abundant, is bright, and lacks decoration. Carinated pots stand out, especially the so-called Argaric glass, as well as casks and vats.
ANTIQUITY: COLONIZERS, IBERIAN CULTURE, AND ROMANIZATION
The Colonizers
The Argar world declined in the late second millennium BC, and a new cultural phase began in the Southeast. The indigenous population, influenced by a series of external factors, some from Atlantic Europe and others from the Mediterranean (which were the most critical), began to develop the Iberian Culture.
The region maintained contacts with Mediterranean colonizers who were instrumental in the formation of the Iberian culture.
The Phoenicians began their presence on our shores in the seventh century BC through the port of Cartagena, spreading civilization and culture. Through them, the plow and the potter’s wheel became known, and the techniques of cultivating the vine and the olive tree, whose trade they monopolized, were refined. We have exceptional testimony to their presence: two Phoenician ships that appeared off the coast of Mazarrón.
Greek colonization, a little after the Phoenicians, also began in the seventh century BC, although their trade with the region continued until the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Few Greek remains have been found, not in coastal areas, but in the Segura basin: ceramics, some sculptures, decorative pieces, and coins.
The presence of the Carthaginians in the region stands out. They made Cartagena the heart of their operations on the peninsula. The city was founded by Hasdrubal in the third century BC under the name Hadast Kart (New Town). His palace was situated on the current Monte de la Concepción, and the entire city was surrounded by walls. But nothing remains except shell vases, coins, and Punic influences found in some figures from the necropolis. Their ceaseless wars did not prevent them from being great civilizations. They were excellent farmers and also developed important industries such as esparto grass, glass, and especially garum (a fermented fish sauce).
Iberian Culture
The area of expansion of this culture is limited to the Mediterranean periphery, and its timeframe in our region can be placed from the fifth century BC (although there are doubts regarding the exact timing of its appearance).
From Atlantic Europe, they adopted metal weapons and tools (falcatas, heeled axes) at the end of the Bronze Age, as well as the practice of cremating the dead. But the most decisive contacts were with the Mediterranean settlers who arrived in our region, attracted by its mineral wealth, mainly through the port of Cartagena. Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians influenced the indigenous lifestyles, customs, and beliefs.
Iberian culture shows many references to the colonists in their religious practices: the shrines were located in areas near rivers or streams (worship of water to drive away drought), and they worshiped female deities identified with Aphrodite and Artemis. The tombs consisted of an earth-covered mound that housed a chamber with a bench inside, on which urns containing the ashes of the deceased were deposited, together with a large amount of grave goods.
There are few remains of villages in the region. They were established on mountain slopes, and the houses were rectangular with walls plastered inside in blue, red, green, and white. Iberian culture extended throughout the region, including the Argaric area, and they also preferred the interior to coastal areas.
In sculpture, they used stone and bronze, but they lacked significant works like those found in Elche and Albacete. There are figures of warriors on foot and horseback, praying figures, etc. Small figures abound, which would have served as offerings.
Ceramics are more interesting. The vessels are made of fine clay, yellowish or reddish, and have rich painted decoration. Verdolay, Archena, and Totana are the main centers where remnants have appeared. The decoration features geometric patterns, plants, or animals and shows a strong Greek influence.
As for their alphabet and writing, it was formed from Phoenician and Greek contributions. It has been deciphered but cannot be fully understood.
The Romanization
Rome invaded the peninsula in order to end the hegemony of Carthage in the Mediterranean. In the year 209 BC, they conquered the region and took Cartagena from the Carthaginians. It became the Roman city of Carthago Nova, which would be the focal point from which Romanization would radiate throughout the region.
Romanization was slow but had much more influence than the earlier colonizers. The Romans brought the Latin language, a new religion, and Roman citizenship to all inhabitants of the area.
Carthago Nova was the most important city, walled and surrounded by hills crowned with temples to the gods of the empire. The layout corresponded to that of a Roman city, but the scarce remains of urban structures do not give a precise assessment of its past splendor. Today, the discovery of the theater has added a new dimension to the knowledge of Roman Cartagena. Besides the theater, there are remains of the amphitheater under the bullring and the remains of driveways and porches. The Torre Ciega monument stands out within the necropolis.
As for sculptural remains, few samples have survived compared to the great wealth that must have existed. Most of the sculptures found were for domestic purposes, as they were intended to decorate the domus of the city. Another group had a civil or religious function, and a third group are funerary works. Most of the marble sculptures were imported, and only a small percentage are made with local stone. The chronology of what is preserved ranges from the late Republic (second-first centuries BC) to the beginning of the Empire (first century AD), corresponding with the architectural remains.
To Romanize the hinterland, the Romans created new municipalities such as Mazarrón, Lorca, Archena, and Cehegín. In rural areas, the Roman presence was established through the agricultural villa, spread over different points: Águilas, Yecla, Jumilla, Archena, Fortuna, Bullas, Lorquí, Librilla, etc., both in areas of fields and orchards, because it was the Romans who began the development of the orchard. There were also leisure villas, like Portman, but they were less abundant.
Trade assumed great importance. Cartagena was the meeting point of many terrestrial communication networks (Via Augusta) and had a famous seaport. Metals, salted fish (the famous garum), esparto grass, cereals, and salt were exported to all the provinces of the Roman Empire. Imports included luxury ceramics, marble, and artistic bronzes.
MURCIA REGION IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Barbarian Invasions
The Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions, which were also felt in our region in the first half of the fifth century. In 428, Vandals plundered Carthago Nova in order to eliminate the empire’s naval unit in the Western Mediterranean.
After the Vandals, the region became dominated by the Visigoths, the last barbarian people who came to Spain. Their presence is centered between the sixth and seventh centuries.
In general, there is not much information about this historical period at the regional level. Only the Visigothic people have left more concrete evidence. There are remains of Visigothic necropolises in Belones (Cartagena), La Unión, and Lorca.
The remains of a Visigothic basilica in Algezares, at the Llano del Olivar, are also considered Visigothic. It was made of poor materials but has interesting decorative remains, including several cylindrical shafts decorated with geometric motifs of barbarian origin, preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Murcia.
In the middle of Visigothic rule, the Byzantine invasion occurred in the region. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian wanted to restore the Roman Empire and began a policy of military expansion. Our region and other areas became part of the Byzantine Levant. Cartagena was the center of Byzantine rule, which was, in essence, a military occupation. Parts of the walls surrounding it have been excavated, and there is the written testimony of a Byzantine tombstone from a monumental city gate, indicating the date 589. In the end, Cartagena was retaken by the Visigoths, and although it was not destroyed, its commercial life was paralyzed. Meanwhile, Orihuela became the regional capital, replacing Cartagena.
This entire stage involved a gradual transformation towards medieval times.
Arab Domain
At the beginning of the eighth century, the region was united around the last Visigothic lord, Teodomiro, who had his center in Orihuela. When the Muslim invasion occurred (711), Teodomiro preferred to reach an agreement with the invaders rather than resist them. This established the “Cora” of Tudmir, a region of relative autonomy within Muslim Spain for over a quarter of a century. The cities included in the “Cora” were Orihuela, Alicante, Mula, and Lorca, and there are doubts about Cehegín and Elche. Cartagena is not listed, perhaps because it had not recovered from the destabilization caused by the Visigothic invasion.
This region of Tudmir did not achieve special importance until the year 831, when, under the independent emirate of Abderrahman II, Murcia was founded next to the Segura River. It rapidly became the capital of the “Cora”.
During the ninth and tenth centuries, Murcia depended on Córdoba, first on the emirate and then on the caliphate. But after the death of the last caliph, Almanzor, it became an independent kingdom with the first Taifa kingdoms in the eleventh century. In the late eleventh century, it became part of the Almoravid empire, which imposed its power throughout the territory of al-Andalus. But in 1147, with the arrival of Ibn Mardanish (the Wolf King) to power in Murcia, an era of political and military prominence began. He rebelled against the established Almoravid power in Al-Andalus and proclaimed himself emir of the Islamic east. When Almoravid power was supplanted by the Almohad invasion, Ibn Mardanish led a fierce resistance against them until his death in 1172. His children had to submit to the authority of the Almohad caliph in the late twelfth century.
After periods of political instability and attempts at independence from Almohad rule, the ruling dynasty in Murcia, the Banu Hud, submitted to Ferdinand III in 1243, acting as a vassal, establishing a Castilian protectorate over the Muslim kingdom of Murcia. When they discovered that Castilian domination was more than a protectorate, there was a general rebellion, which was suppressed by James I the Conqueror. He occupied Murcia in 1266 on behalf of his son Alfonso X, thus complying with the Treaty of Almizra.
Murcia was incorporated into the kingdom of Castile, from now on becoming a distant military frontier in a land of transition between Moors and Christians, a land of synthesis where Christians, Moors, and Jews lived together.
The period of Muslim rule left a deep mark on our land. The exploitation of the orchard was systematized, and new crops were introduced, such as cotton, sugarcane, oranges, lemons, rice, apricots, mulberry, and silkworms. They introduced a new system of land tenure based on smallholdings.
Urbanistically, the city of Murcia presented the appearance of a typical Muslim city, a set of narrow streets and small squares forming the medina, and near it were the suburbs located within the confines of the medina and the river.
The northern suburb was named Arrixaca Vieja and was a residential area with houses or recreational Almunias, and the Alcázar Seguer, the first residence of the Wolf King and later transformed by the Almohads, is today the Convent of Santa Clara. The southern suburb, or Arrixaca Nueva, corresponded to the areas of San Antolín and San Andrés.
With respect to representative buildings, virtually nothing remains. Inspired by Roman baths, the Arab bath was of enormous significance for Muslims, and there were several in Murcia (six). The last to disappear was in the current Calle Madre de Dios and was destroyed by the construction of the Gran Vía. Others were in the area of La Merced, San Antolín, Calle del Trinquete, etc. The Baths of Alhama have now been recovered with great care.
As for the mosques, also numerous, there was one in each district, and they were mostly converted into parishes after the Christian reconquest: San Lorenzo, San Juan, San Bartolomé, San Miguel, and so on.
Examples of the political power that Murcia held throughout Al-Andalus are its fortifications and defense works.
The wall that enclosed the medina was solidly built with mortar and concrete. Castles or small fortifications also rose around it for protection, such as those of Monteagudo, Larache, La Luz, Cabezo del Puerto de la Cadena, and so on. Other vestiges of Arab strongholds scattered throughout the region are in Ricote, Ojós, Abarán, Librilla, Alhama, Lorca, Aledo, Mula, and so on. Some of them, like Mula and Lorca, were so extensively remodeled in the Christian era that nothing remains of their Moorish origins.
During the Almoravid domain, but coinciding with the reign of the Wolf King, an exceptional monument was built in the region, called the Castillejo, at the foot of the fortress of Monteagudo. These are the remains of a country palace with a richly decorated interior and a beautiful garden with ponds and pavilions in the style of what we will see in the Nasrid palaces of Granada. Perhaps from the same period was also the main mosque or aljama, which was destroyed to build the Cathedral.
The most representative example of a Muslim urban center in the Region is the city of Medina Siyasa in Cieza, on the Cerro del Castillo, built between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. Its brilliance and political importance are reflected in the quality of the remains found today at the Archaeological Museum of Cieza.
The Orchard: Arab writers describe it as very fertile, with irrigation ditches and a system of waterwheels, such as the noria and others.
Ceramics: After analyzing the few remaining architectural vestiges of the Muslim presence in our region, ceramics is the chapter where we find the most important examples. The plastic arts, painting and sculpture, especially the latter, were little cultivated by Muslims because the Quran prohibits depictions of human figures to prevent idolatry.
The Archaeological Museum of Murcia holds a good collection of Islamic ceramics in which we can distinguish various techniques in their production, including the Golden, Blue, graffito, and stamped techniques.
Islamic Cartagena: There is little information about Cartagena during the Islamic period. The Visigothic invasion of the seventh century and the possible tsunami that it could have suffered in 1013-1014 are the causes of its low prominence.
Muslim Lorca: Lorca was located on the mountain where the castle stands today, and the suburb was below.
La Reconquista: Gothic Christian Murcia
With the entry of James I of Aragon into Murcia on behalf of his son Alfonso X, the kingdom of Murcia was definitively incorporated into the Crown. The Diocese of Cartagena was restored, and Castilian institutions and powers were extended throughout the new territory: military orders, councils, mayors, churches, and ecclesiastical orders were developed.
A highly volatile period began for our region, with tensions between the nobility and the clergy, attacks by the Moors from Granada, and its role on the border between Castile and Aragon, the Mediterranean, and the Muslim world. These factors gave it a predominantly military frontier character. Castilian civil wars were exploited by the Aragonese kings to dismember the ancient kingdom of Murcia. Alicante, Orihuela, and Elche were separated from the kingdom of Murcia and joined Aragon, reducing our region to almost its present limits.
Murcia was depopulated. Muslims emigrated in large numbers after the Reconquest, and the Christians who arrived represented a smaller number than the Muslims who migrated. The fields were empty, and only the irrigated areas, easy to defend because they were close to fortified cities, were populated.
After the Christian conquest, the territory of Murcia was organized into large cities: Murcia, Lorca, Caravaca, and Cartagena. Villages and small towns depended on these cities.
Murcia, the capital, remained surrounded by walls with twelve gates and was divided into three sectors: the Christian sector, coinciding with the current parishes of Santa María, San Bartolomé, Santa Catalina, San Pedro, San Nicolás, and San Lorenzo; the Muslim sector, in the suburb of Arrixaca (the area of San Andrés); and the Jewish sector, around the Puerta de Orihuela, between San Juan and Santa Eulalia.
The ancient mosques were disappearing or becoming Christian churches, and the construction of the Cathedral began on the site of the main mosque in the late fourteenth century. Around it, streets were established that were named after the occupations that dominated each one: Trapería, Jabonerías, Frenería, etc.
Later, in the fifteenth century, the first signs of recovery appeared: agricultural production increased, and the cultivated area expanded with the draining of the marshes of Monteagudo. Trade also recovered with the arrival of Genoese merchants in search of local raw materials. The conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs in the late fifteenth century (1492) represented the beginning of a period of stability and consolidation for Murcia that would culminate during the sixteenth century.
Medieval Christian Art: Gothic Art
After the kingdom of Murcia was reconquered in the thirteenth century and due to the precarious situation it experienced in the early days, there is very little significant Gothic architecture from this early period in the region.
Notable examples include the old Cathedral of Cartagena. Although some hypotheses relate its origin to the Byzantine occupation, the building dates from the thirteenth century, after the Reconquest, during the time of Alfonso X the Wise. The Hermitage of the Steps of Santiago in Murcia, although restored, still retains its wide nave and wooden roof, where Muslim and Christian influences blend with Gothic elements.
In Jumilla, the Church of Santiago, the central part belongs to this period.
In Lorca, tall Gothic churches stand out, especially Santa María, now in ruins but still showing its stellar central vaults.
In Mula, the churches of San Miguel and Santo Domingo were established on the sites of ancient mosques.
The most important Gothic monument in the regional capital is the Cathedral of Murcia. Construction began in 1394 on the site of the mosque. The work was slow, and the solemn consecration took place in 1467. But after this date, minor works continued to be carried out, such as chapels, portals, etc.
Its plan follows the outline of a Gothic cathedral, inspired by Catalan models: three naves with shallow transepts, a seven-sided apse, and an ambulatory with radiating chapels. The overall effect is austere. Only the transept, the ambulatory, and sections of the aisles from the foot of the church have stellar vaults. The only Gothic doorway that is retained is that of the Apostles, with a pointed arch and sculptures of four apostles on terraces. Its construction dates from 1466 and is attributed to Diego Sánchez de Almazán, the master builder of the cathedral during those years.
But the truly unique work that closes the Gothic period in the region is the Chapel of the Fajardo family, Marquises of Vélez, attached to the ambulatory of the cathedral. It is a piece of enormous importance. It was begun by the governor Don Juan Chacón Fajardo and completed by his son Don Pedro Fajardo, the first Marquis of Los Vélez, in 1507. With an octagonal base and rich decoration, its construction required the demolition of two chapels of the ambulatory. On the outside wall, the coats of arms of the Fajardo family are visible, and below them, a large chain and stone link, about which popular imagination has woven many legends.
The author is anonymous. Perhaps Don Juan Chacón, the founder, brought in a master builder who had no connection to the local area. Inside, exuberant decoration covers everything with typical motifs of late Gothic, and a rich vault is crowned with a ten-pointed star. All of this corresponds to the last phase of Gothic, the more decorative style called Flamboyant.
Also from an early date is the cloister of the Convent of Santa Clara in Murcia, which retains the lower gallery of one wing with wide, flat arches on pillars.
Civil and Military Architecture
The frontier character of our region demanded, from the beginning of its conquest, the maintenance of a series of castles and fortresses, many of which were of Muslim origin. Therefore, it is sometimes very difficult to specify which parts are Arab and which are Christian, largely because the workforce was Moorish, and the Mudejar technique of cob and brick is found in many of these works.
From the thirteenth century, the remains of Lorca Castle, part of its walls, and also from the thirteenth century is what today can be seen of Aledo Castle.
From the fourteenth century, the most visible part is the Castle of the Conception in Cartagena.
But most of the castles preserved in Murcia are from the fifteenth century, due to the initiative of the Order of Santiago and the families of the Pacheco and Fajardo, Marquises of Villena and Vélez, respectively. Notable examples include Moratalla, Caravaca, and Mula.
MURCIA REGION IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY: THE RENAISSANCE
Historical Introduction
With the capture of Granada and the consequent end of the Reconquista, a period of consolidation began in our region at all levels. The population increased due to peace and economic improvement. New areas of irrigated land were created, and agriculture developed alongside livestock farming. Mining was resumed, and the silk and wool industries grew in importance. Trade was also stimulated by the presence of Genoese merchants who were interested in local raw materials.
Regarding political organization, the centralization of power begun by the Catholic Monarchs and accentuated by the Habsburgs greatly modified the local situation. The Region of Murcia was organized at this time into two major judicial districts: Lorca and Murcia, although the military orders retained independent jurisdiction.
Although this was generally a period of peace, several historical events reveal momentary disruptions of local life, both under Charles V and Philip II: the Revolt of the Comuneros, led by Castilian towns; the Germanías, or brotherhoods, led by Valencian guilds; both were urban uprisings against abuses by the nobles and the manorial system. Finally, there was the Morisco problem, which was particularly acute in the region.
On a cultural and artistic level, this is the most important period (along with the eighteenth century) for Murcian art and personalities.
Renaissance Art
The Renaissance began in Italy in the fifteenth century but spread throughout Europe during the sixteenth century. Through contacts with Italy, Renaissance art arrived in Spain. In our country, it went through a first decorative phase, with some Gothic influence still present, and a second phase, more streamlined, with a more classical and austere style. The first style is called Plateresque, and the second, more sober and classical, is the Purist style.
In the Region of Murcia, Italian influence was also felt due to the presence of high-quality Italian masters and the existing trade relations with Italy, which had been established since earlier times. Renaissance art in our region was driven by important figures who acted as patrons, both ecclesiastical and civil, with the Fajardo family, Marquises of Vélez, standing out as a prominent figure in our region.
The chapter on Renaissance architecture in Murcia opens with a work built beyond the limits of the region. This is Vélez Blanco Castle, designed as a fortress and palace, enriched with a beautiful Renaissance courtyard that is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, begun in 1506 and taking nine years to build, was due to the initiative of Don Pedro Fajardo Chacón, the first Marquis of Vélez, who also completed the Vélez Chapel in the Cathedral.
Along with the nobility, the Church also contributed to the dissemination of Renaissance art through works in the Cathedral. The presence of Italian masters hired by the Cathedral Chapter was crucial in the shift towards the new art based on the forms of classical antiquity.
In addition to the Renaissance paintings in the Cathedral and the Junterón Chapel or the portal of the ante-sacristy, notable works in Murcia also include those in the Convent of San Esteban, the seat of the Autonomous Community. From the same period and style are the so-called columns of the Church of the Assumption in Moratalla, El Salvador in Caravaca, and La Magdalena in Cehegín. Also important is the Renaissance work (chancel and transept) of the Church of Santiago in Jumilla.
THE BAROQUE IN MURCIA: 17TH-18TH CENTURIES
THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY: THE EARLY BAROQUE
Historical Introduction
The economic crisis that Spain suffered in the seventeenth century was also felt in our region. The expulsion of the Moriscos in 1610 had serious consequences: the orchard lost a skilled workforce. The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) and internal revolts against the policies of the Count-Duke of Olivares led to the collapse of Murcia’s most important economic activities: the wool and silk trade. This situation was exacerbated by the presence of Barbary pirates on our shores and weather disasters: droughts and floods. The plague also made its presence felt in the middle of the century, and cities were enclosed within their walls, further hindering trade.
Seventeenth-Century Baroque Art
Architecture in this century reflects the economic difficulties and is characterized by great simplicity and austerity. The work of El Escorial, in the last decades of the sixteenth century, also influenced the taste for the unornamented that is observed in many constructions of the seventeenth century, such as the interior of the Shrine of the Holy Cross in Caravaca.
As the century progressed, we see a gradual transformation in national and regional architecture, with a more decorative and complex style being imposed. The facade of San Patricio in Lorca, begun in 1692, already shows a more decorative approach, although it broadly maintains an austere composition. This austerity is completely lost in other works where the Solomonic column bursts in with its twisted and dynamic rhythm, as seen in the Casa de Guevara in Lorca, dated 1694.
As for sculpture in this period, the national focus continues to be on altarpieces and images for processions. The particularly austere and tragic character of the seventeenth century produces a harsh-featured, penitential imagery that permeates the sensitivity of the Spanish people and is a faithful exponent of the norms of the Council of Trent, which advocated using art to bring religion closer to the faithful. Moreover, the breakdown of the state’s economy and the decline and ruin of much of the nobility led to the emergence of a more popular art under the patronage of convents, parishes, and brotherhoods, which obtained income from donations or public subscriptions.
In Murcia, sculptural activity was not intense during this century. The figure who best represents the dramatic style, so characteristic of Spain, in our region is Nicolás de Bussy. Born in Strasbourg and after a stay in Valencia and Alicante, he settled in Murcia and remained there for about fifteen years. Notable works from his production include the Christ of the Blood in the Carmelite church, the Christ of the Praetorian in the same church, and the Saint Francis Borgia that was in the church of San Esteban.
Regarding painting, the artistic heights achieved by national painting in the seventeenth century are not reflected in our region. The painting of this period is a subsidiary of the Valencian school, but with a secondary tone and artists who fall into the category of followers of the Valencian painters Ribalta and Ribera. It is a painting that evolves slowly and that remains attached to the tenebrist style throughout the century. Names like Villacís, Gilarte, or Senén Vila are the most representative.
The only painter whose fame transcends the local level is Pedro Orrente (1580-1645). Although born in Murcia, he spent his life between Toledo and Valencia, but he always maintained contact with his homeland. Along with Salzillo, he is the Murcian artist with the most weight on the Spanish art scene.
The Eighteenth Century: FULL BAROQUE
After the crisis that lasted throughout much of the seventeenth century, aggravated in our region by years of drought and violent floods, there was a recovery that began towards the end of the century, due largely to the proliferation of mulberry trees, which were resistant to floods and droughts. This resulted in the booming silk industry. The region was well prepared for the growth that the eighteenth century would bring.
The eighteenth century witnessed a major renovation. In addition, Murcia had extraordinary personalities at this time who contributed to its transformation and progress. Three names: Belluga, Floridablanca, and Salzillo represent three highlights of an entrepreneurial and originally reforming culture.
Belluga became bishop of the diocese at the beginning of the century. His loyalty to the Bourbon cause in the War of Succession brought the region into favor during the reign of the Bourbon dynasty. But it was with Floridablanca, minister of Charles III, that the region achieved its greatest development, especially in the field of public works and culture. Murcia embellished its streets and houses, and Cartagena regained the commercial and military importance it had in other times. In general, the entire region experienced growth, reflecting internal peace, new crops, irrigation, and urban progress.
Eighteenth-Century Baroque Art
Architecture .- The baroque style of sharp austerity that prevailed in the seventeenth century architecture, is complicated and enlarged in the eighteenth century. The decorative details and increase the freedom of the compositional elements is increasing: pediment, curved lines, inlets and outlets, which produce sets of lights and shadows. There is a greater tendency towards the monumental.
The masterpiece of the century is the main facade of the cathedral, designed by the Valencian Jaime Bort. Also built in the second half of the century the third and fourth bodies of the tower and the octagonal auction, by Ventura Rodriguez, held in 1790, where he foreshadows the neoclassical restraint.
Important work of this period is the Jeronimos Monastery of Nora, Murcia called El Escorial, the architect who carried out was the Friar Antonio de San Jose.
Cornerstone of Murcia is the baroque facade of the Shrine of the Holy Cross in Caravaca, author unknown, has been linked to certain works of Mexican baroque.
The Episcopal Palace, built next to the main facade of the Cathedral, rococo clear trend is also work to highlight.
They are also of this time most of the churches of Murcia, given the economic boom of the century. In Jumilla, Yecla, Mula, Cartagena etc, there are also beautiful examples of Baroque churches.
As for civil architecture, most of the stately homes were built in this century, with beautiful covers decorated with shields and grates, the remaining samples in Murcia, Mula, Lorca, Cehegín, Jumilla and so on.
By mid-century, the works begin with Arsenal de Cartagena Feringa Sebastian layout.
The sculpture of the eighteenth century continues the tradition of altarpieces and images, but has now reached maturity and completion.
The most representative figure in the field of sculpture and national Murcia this century Francisco Salzillo. Born in Murcia in 1707, his father, Nicholas Salzillo, of Neapolitan origin, initiated him into the office, but far exceed the art of his father. His style mixes Italian beauty with the religious and Spanish expressive and warm ambience of the land of Murcia.
Several steps are outlined in his work, which marks its evolution from youth to maturity and completion with the achievement of the eight steps for the Brotherhood of Jesus. Besides his processional images highlight other similar expertise as San Jeronimo del Museo de la Catedral, San Francisco and Santa Clara the Capuchin Convent, Christ at the Column of the Monastery of Santa Ana Jumilla etc.
One of his latest works is the Nativity scene, made up of almost five hundred figures, inserted in a eighteenth century, with buildings of the era and popular genre scenes. As a disciple stands Roque López.
The painting of the eighteenth century, sounding much less, does not reach the brilliance of the sculpture. Include: Lorenzo Vila, still influenced by the dark of the seventeenth century, Manuel Sanchez and so on.
In the second half of the century Gines Sanchez Aguirre stressed that performs trend tapestry cartoons rococo, and Joaquín Campos, Valencia settled in our region.
VISUAL ANALYSIS OF THE SQUARE AND CATHEDRAL Belluga
– Entering the plaza down the street Freneria. Warn the surprise of Baroque urbanism “: narrow street which opens onto a large square. Describe the sensation.
– Observe the square at its four cardinal points:
– Houses of the environment. Do you seem well integrated into the square?
– Bishop’s Palace. Behold its main facade restored its polychrome painted and decorate cornucopias. Entering the courtyard, to warn the purity of the decorative carving and the reason for the rock between the arches. Asomaros the monumental staircase and see the dome. Surrounding the perimeter of the palace and see the south facade overlooking the pavilion. Noting the differences between them.
– Building by Rafael Moneo. Give your opinion about the building itself and in connection with the plaza.
– Cathedral. Observe the main facade, the mobility of its ground, its tilt toward the episcopal palace (oblique perspective, the choice of the baroque), the play of light and colors of materials.
– Appreciate the perfect interlocking between the architectural and the sculptural and decorative.
– Recognize the images that define his iconography.
– Surrounding the perimeter of the cathedral and discover its Gothic structure filled with later additions. Examine carefully the two portals of the transept, the door of the Apostles and the door of Chains, and identify three distinguishing features.
– To penetrate into the interior of the cathedral with the plane, walk and observe the various ribbed vaults (sexpartite, stars) and the pillars with ribs attached. Detain in the following chapels:
– Capilla de los Vélez. Appoint flamboyant gothic elements present in its structure and decor.
– Chapel of the Incarnation. Warn the novelty of its plant and the two parties that comprise it.
– The cover of the ante-sacristy. Observe the Renaissance cover scheme and identify the elements that comprise it.
– Chapel choir. Referring back to its origin. Note the dome of the foot of the temple.
– Chapel Junterones. Look at it carefully and appreciate their bulging plateresque decoration, so typical of its author. Say your name and list the works he produced for the cathedral.
– Neo-Gothic chapel with altar and choir stalls, Renaissance, donated by Queen Elizabeth II after the burning of the cathedral, which occurred in 1854.