Murcia, situated in the hot coastal plain of southeastern Spain, is the chief town of its province and the seat of a university. The fertile Huerta de Murcia, in which fruit and vegetables flourish, supplies a large canning industry. Murcia was the birthplace of the sculptor Francisco Salzillo or
Zarcillo (1707-83), whose works are to be seen in many churches.
History
The Moorish town of Mursiya was founded by Abderrahman II about 830. From 1224 Murcia and the surrounding area became an independent Moorish kingdom (taifa), which was conquered by Castile only nineteen years later. During the War of the Spanish Succession the huerta round the town was flooded to defend it against attack by Austrian troops. In 1936, during the Civil War, many churches in the town were set on fire or otherwise destroyed.
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