Murcia City Centre (Centro) part 1

- Old Town, Cathedral of St Mary, University of Murcia, Plaza de Santo Domingo, Calle Traperia, Plaza Julián Romea, Plaza Cardenal Belluga, Casa Díaz Cassou, Gran Via Escultor Francisco Salzillo, Jardin San Esteban, Jardin del Salitre

The City Centre of Murcia is very beautiful, mostly consisting of an Old Town with beautiful buildings from the 14th-19th century, a large cathedral, restaurants, pedestrian streets and baroque churches. Many architectural styles are represented in Murcia's buildings and palaces, but baroque is the most prominent one. Right outside of the historic parts you will also find modernist residential buildings in pretty dull style, some of them highrises, along the main avenues. Some very large traffic circles can be found in the North end of the city center. They are trafficated by modern lightrail trams. To the South of the centre flows the Segura River (Fuente Segura), found on part 2. Surprisingly we also found a lot of rock clubs/pubs and other night clubs.

Catedral de Santa Maria de Murcia, the Cathedral of St Mary. Built 1394-1465. The only cathedral of the Diocese of Cartagena. This huge cathedral features gothic, baroque and renaissance elements. The bell tower is 90m tall, the tallest campanile in Spain. It features 25 bells with different names.

University of Murcia. The university's Arts Faculty (La Merced campus), a large baroque building can be found at Plaza de la Universidad.

Plaza de Santo Domingo, a square right in the heart of Murcia with open air restaurants, cafés and several beautiufl buildings. Here you find Iglesia de Santo Domingo, baroque church built in 1642, but destroyed and later rebuilt. This is where Calle Traperia begins. Iglesia San Esteban, Iglesia San Miguel and Museo de Santa Clara can all be found just to the West of the plaza.

Plaza Julián Romea. Here you find Teatro de Romea (Roman Theatre) and the backside of Iglesia de Santo Domingo.

Calle Traperia between Plaza de Santo Domingo and Plaza Hernández Amores (where you find the Cathedral) is the main pedestrian street of Murcia, filled with beautiful historic buildings and open air restaurants. Here you also find the casino.

Plaza Cardenal Belluga: Here you find the main facade of the Cathedral and some interesting buildings; Edificio Moneo, a postmodern buildings that serves as the City Hall, and is considered conroversial because of it's site among historic buildigns. Palacio Episcopal, a red rococo palace completed in 1768. Built as the residence for bishop Mateo. The other facade faces the Segura River, that is featured in part 2.

Casa Díaz Cassou, a fine example of modernista style a la Gaudi. Built in 1906. The architect was José Antonio Rodríguez, a then controversial building, and it features paintings by Pedro Garcia del Bosque.

Gran Via Escultor Francisco Salzillo, an avenue with modern buildings in the West part of the city center. Most historical sites are to the East of it. Plaza Santa Isabel is a modern square on the West side of Gran Via EFS. Modern buildings, some statues and a wooden shelter can be found here. Plaza de Santa Catalina, a small beautiful square, can be found some blocks further to the West of Gran Via EFS. Here you find Museo Ramon Gaya. And just next to it, you find Plaza de las Flores, a small square with flower stands, restaurants and a beautiful sculpture. Plaza Mayor is not as majestic as you might think. It consists of dull modernist buildings, the only interesting building there is probably Parroquia San Nicolás de Bari y Santa Catalina, a baroque church.

Gran Via Alfonso X el Sabio is a short road with market stands, trees and open air restaurants in the middle. It ends at Plaza Circular, the largest traffic circle of Murcia.

Jardin San Esteban is a large site, just next to a department store and Palacio San Estaban. Here Moorish ruins were found during the construction of an underground parking. There is a heavy debate on what to do on the site. While the debate is going on the ruins remain uncovered. El Corte Ingles has a large department store in the West part of the city center. As most department stores, it is situated in an ugly building, just next to the ruins.

Casa de los Nueve Pisos (House of the Nine Floors). A for it's time very modern midrise building constructed by architect Antonio Rodriguez 1914-42, on top of a jesuit cloister.

Jardin del Salitre is a beautiful park in the West part of the city centre. Here you find palms, open air restaurants and many very beautiful sculptures, among them a fountain with three arches symbolising 3 cultures that lived side by side in Murcia. In the 17th century this was the site for a powder factory, but since 1987 the park is public. It is often used for concerts and cultural events.