Archena

Archena municipality
Rio Segura near Archena
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Murcia
Comarca :	Valle de Ricote
Coordinates	38 ° 7 ′  N , 1 ° 18 ′  W Coordinates: 38 ° 7 ′  N , 1 ° 18 ′  W
Height :	110  msnm
Area :	16.4 km²
Residents :	19.301 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	1,176.89 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	30600
Municipality number  ( INE ):	30009
administration
Website :	Archena

Archena is a southern Spanish town and one from the main village and another village (Algaida) existing municipality ( municipio ) with a total of 19,301 inhabitants (as of January 1 2019) in the center of the province of Murcia in the same autonomous region of Murcia .

location

The small town of Archena is located on the Río Segura a good 25 km (driving distance) northwest of the city of Murcia at an altitude of about 110 m above sea level. d. The climate in winter is temperate, in summer it is warm to hot; the low amounts of precipitation (approx. 300 mm / year) fall - with the exception of the almost rainless summer months - distributed throughout the year.

Population development

year	1877	1900	1950	2000	2016
Residents	3,498	4,590	7,567	14,516	18,734

The continuous increase in population is mainly due to the ongoing immigration from the rural area. The relative proximity to the Murcia area also plays a role.

economy

Archena is located in the Valle de Ricote , the agriculturally used core zone of the province of Murcia; Grains, grapevines and all kinds of olive and fruit trees were planted - vegetables came from the home gardens. Today mainly citrus fruits and olive trees are harvested. Small traders, craftsmen and service companies of all kinds have settled in the village. As early as 1750, several natural stone deposits were known in the vicinity of the place, but it was not until the 20th century that smaller marble quarries emerged.

history

The oldest finds that attest to the presence of man in the region date back to the Neolithic . Iberian , Carthaginian and Roman finds were also made - the latter already made use of the thermal springs (balneario) about 1.5 km north of today's town ; Visigothic or Byzantine finds are missing. In the years after 711 the area was overrun by the Moors . After the end of the Caliphate of Córdoba that arose Taifa Kingdom Murcia, which after the reconquest ( reconquista ) of the region by Castilian troops under Alfonso X in 1243 in a Christian kingdom was converted, which, however closely with the Crown of Castile was intertwined . In the years 1296 to 1304 the region came temporarily under Aragonese rule . It was not until this time that the new town of Archena came into being and developed around an older fortress (hisn) , which from 1344 until the 19th century - together with Calasparra and different from the other communities in the valley - from the Johanniter or Order of Malta (Orden de San Juan) was administered.

Attractions

• The 15th century building of the Casa Grande was a former tithe and grain store (pósito) of the Order of St. John; it was sold in the 18th century, equipped with numerous windows and today serves as the town hall.
• The Iglesia de San Juan Bautista was built between 1770 and 1789 on the site of a previous building that had in turn replaced a mosque , but its completion took until the 20th century. The church has three naves and a basilica floor plan and elevation. While the single-tower facade (a second tower was planned) is designed rather simply and unadorned, the interior of the church presents itself in the style of classicism .
• The Palacete de Villarias is a villa from the late 19th century with an attached garden.
• The Castillo de Don Mario is a castle-like building from the beginning of the 20th century, but illuminated by many windows.

Surroundings

• The Balneario de Archena is about one and a half kilometers north of the village. The ancient thermal baths lying in ruins were partly renovated in the 19th and 20th centuries in the Moorish style . The actual thermal bath is surrounded by several hotels and villas.
• The neo-Romanesque Ermita del Balneario is a building from the 1870s.
• There are numerous water pumping wheels ( norias ) in the municipality , which are reminiscent of Islamic irrigation techniques .

Parish partnership

• Chesham , England

Web links

Commons : Archena  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Archena, Miscellaneous - Photos + Info (Spanish)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
2. ↑ Archena - map with altitude information
3. ↑ Archena - climate tables
4. ↑ Archena - population development
5. ↑ Archena - economy etc.
6. ^ Archena story
7. ↑ Archena - Casa Grande ( Memento of the original from September 22, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
8. ^ Archena - Church of San Juan Bautista
9. ↑ Archena - Church of San Juan Bautista ( Memento of the original from July 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ↑ Archena - Palacete de Villarias ( Memento of the original from September 22, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
11. ^ Archena - Castillo de Don Mario
12. ↑ Archena - Balneario ( Memento of the original from April 2, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
13. ↑ Archena - Schöpfräder ( Memento of the original from July 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.