Archena is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in Spain in the province of

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

and is located in the northeastern quarter. It has a population of 18,496 (as of 2012) and an area of . It is away from the provincial capital, Murcia. Archena is home to a hot water mineral spa dating back to Roman times and has 3 hotels built around it. Whilst undergoing recent development, further Roman ruins were found on the site of the spa.

Etymology

The etymology of the word "Archena" is indisputably somehow related to the Indo-European root referring to "water" that appears in Arga, Erga, Arganzuela, etc., and, within the territory of Murcia, with the Argos river, Archena, Archivel, etc. The origin of the word "Archena" derives from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''arxila,'' which means

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

, but over the years it turned into "Archena".

History

Roman Times

Although the village of Archena was created in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

, the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

were the ones who founded the town in the 1st and 2nd centuries. This is shown in the archeological remains of the therms in Archena's water spa. The Romans created around this place temples, lodges, paths and roads connected with the rest of

Hispania Hispania was the Ancient Rome, Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two Roman province, provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divide ...

17th century

With the conquest of the

Nasrid The Nasrid dynasty ( ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; ) was an Arab dynasty that ruled the Emirate of Granada from 1232 to 1492. It was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula. Twenty-three sultans ruled Granada from the foun ...

kingdom of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western Europe. ...

by the

Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Isabella I of Castile, Queen Isabella I of Crown of Castile, Castile () and Ferdinand II of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Crown of Aragón, Aragon (), whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of ...

in 1492, the Christian Reconquest of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

ended. Like the rest of the Kingdom of Murcia and the territories of the Iberian Peninsula, the seventeenth century is a period of crisis for Archena for several reasons. This century saw a demographic increase and a development of the cultivated surface, being rice,

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

, oil and

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

the most important productions at that time. Later, a demographic decrease was magnified by a series of catastrophes that devastated the region: floods, droughts,

locust Locusts (derived from the Latin ''locusta'', locust or lobster) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they b ...

plagues, earthquakes and plagues.

18th century

The 18th century was a period of stability and economic progress for all the country, especially for the Murcia's area. The Ricote Valley and Archena were the zones with the greatest population growth. In this century Archena suffered negative economic effects since a company of French troops remained stationed there, which meant a high cost to the town. However, the century of the

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

is for the municipality the beginning of an upward trajectory from the demographic point of view, which lasts until today.

19th century

The Independence War caused a deep wear in the ''"Balneario".'' Later, a period of political instability and civil conflict started. With the definitive victory of liberalism, the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

's abolition was produced. The political and social tensions which the Restoration pretended to hide, burst uncontrollably in the 1910s and finished in the long

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

20th century

Archena had got a little sanatorium thanks to Mr. Mario Spreáfico, a doctor who helped poor people for free. Archena had also got the figure of Vicente Medina, a great naturalist poet who spent most of his life away from the village but who loved and appreciated its orchards. The trade, the agriculture and the industry prospered. In the first years of the century, the factory "Molinos del río" was set up. The apricot was the most important fruit but, in general, there was also an important production of citrus. Nowadays, there are some chimneys left as a trace of this industrial activity.

Spanish Civil War

During the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, two military bases were established in Archena: a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

air base a police station and tank school in the ''"''Balneario''"'' and Military Hospital. The Military Command settled in the Miguel Medina school. Archena didn't suffer attacks during the war, but suffered the long and hard

postwar A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, ...

. The battle reduced the development again, returning to a subsistence production. After the war, life conditions were very hard, with the decrease of the salaries and the subsequent famines. The repression included some murders and the harassment of many people (women, children...), and meant the prison for the republicans. In April 1939 the municipal officials were destituted.

Second half of the century

After the

, the "Virgen de la Salud" and the "Corpus Christi" were turned into

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

s of Archena. By the 1930s, in Archena there was a population of 7,771, in spite of the emigration to France or

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, which lasted until the 1980s when, with the prosperity of the economy, some emigrants returned. From that time on, the population in Archena started to grow. On 1 September 1963, there was an explosion of an ammunition depot at the distance of one kilometer from the village. Nowadays, people in Archena celebrate that there weren't any deaths or injuries. In 1975, when the dictator

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...

died, a term of political transition started. In this period, the government created new schools, health, cultural and sports installations.

21st century

Thanks to archaeological excavations in 2001, a cave was found dating back to c.2300 BC, in

Copper Age The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in dif ...

, used by a community of 23 people. On 11 September 2012, the 550th anniversary of Archena's township was celebrated. On 11 September 1462, the

Order of Saint John of Jerusalem The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there u ...

signed the

municipal charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the granting of a charter ...

with a few villagers; these people reached the independence of Archena as a municipality with the constitution of the first local government and the first mayor. The church of the Corpus Christi-La Purísima was created in 2001 thanks to a priest of the church San Juan Bautista, D. Cristóbal Guerrero Ros. He said that Archena needed a second church and with the support of some people, he collected money for the construction. On 31 May 2001, Cristobal Guerrero Ros was named "adopted son of the village". On 26 April 2010, he received a tribute. A group of ruins have been found in the spa thanks to the construction of the new parking. Since then, the spa management has found Roman columns in the thermal gallery. Moreover, Roman ruins of buildings have appeared in the pool area, where what today would have been a hotel. There is a museum to save these ruins.

Geography

Archena is 24 km away from Murcia. The municipal term has a 16.5 km² surface, the large majority being irrigated land. It is one of the towns in the Ricote Valley. The

Segura river Segura (Spanish and Valencian: ; ; , or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura. Course The 325-km (202 mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones (Jaén Province, Spain, province of J ...

, which runs through 7 km along the Archena's municipal area, constitutes its main axis. The Archena's surface is slightly undulating, with two mounds, the highest of them (in the north) called Ope, and the other being the Sierra de la Serrata.

Climate

Archena has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(''BSh'' on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

) bordering on a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(''BWh''). As in most of the

Murcia region The Region of Murcia (, ; ; ) is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Mediterranean coast. The region is in area and had a population of 1,511,251 as at the start of 2020. About a ...

, precipitation is scarce throughout the year, with less than 300 mm annually. Most precipitation occurs during spring and fall, although it is irregular in some years. The highest temperature ever recorded was on 15 August 2021, while the lowest temperature was on 17 December 2010. During the winter, temperatures rarely fall below , while in summer temperatures above are common.

Environs

Archena is the main city in the Ricote Valley area. Other towns and villages in this area are: * Ulea is a Spanish municipality that belongs to the Ricote Valley area; its extension is 42.5 square kilometers and it has a population of 913 inhabitants. *

Villanueva del Río Segura Villanueva del Río Segura is a municipality in the Region of Murcia, Spain. See also * List of municipalities in the Region of Murcia This is a list of the 45 municipalities in the province and autonomous community of Murcia, Spain, with their l ...

is a Spanish municipality of the Region of Murcia, located in the heart of the Ricote Valley. Its population is 2,650 inhabitants and it has an area of 13.18 square kilometers. * Ojós is a Spanish municipality of the Region of Murcia that is located in the area of the Ricote Valley. It has 504 inhabitants and its extension is 42.28 square kilometers.

Neighbourhoods

Barrio de la Providencia

The occupation of this populous neighbourhood, only surpassed by La Algaida in number of inhabitants, dates back from the early 20th century, when it was known as Camino de la Paira. The Duque de Huete football field was built in there, and over it the area was urbanised. Due to this, the neighbourhood is informally known as "el fútbol" ("the football").

El Hurtado

In this neighbourhood, entrepreneurs settled forming a small inhabited centre, known as "El Hurtado". The name comes from the family of owners were surnamed Hurtado.

Las Arboledas

Las Arboledas (meaning "the groves") is a small neighbourhood which takes part in the common history of the town. The

of this entity is the Virgin of Lourdes. Las Arboledas festivities take place, as El Hurtado, in honour of Apostle James.

El Otro Lao

This neighbourhood (meaning "the other side") dates back to the last years of the 19th century. A completely unavoidable family in its history is the Spreáfico family. The famous Castle of Don Mario is placed in this area.

Los Baños

Los Baños ("the baths") is one of the most popular districts of Archena. The history of this neighbourhood began centuries ago. Nowadays, they are an integrated area in the urban part of Archena; a hotel complex which manages the operation of the thermal springs and offers to the visitor services dedicated to health and beauty.

La Algaida

La Algaida is the most important core of population apart from the town itself. Its patron saint is

Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary (), also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Titles of Mary, Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October ...

. In 1900, it became momentarily famous when the rumours spread that a woman known as "La Quica" had visions in which the Virgin appeared.

Torre del Junco

This district is stuck to La Algaida, with which it has a great link. Torre del Junco was always part of La Algaida, being one of the largest and most recognized areas by their abundant crops.

Infrastructures

Streets

The best-known and busiest streets in Archena are

Ramón y Cajal Ramón or Ramon may refer to: People Given name *Ramón (footballer, born 1950), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1983), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1988), Brazilian footballer *Ramón (footballer, born 1990), Br ...

St., where there are many shops; Primero de Mayo Av.; Copenhague St., where the water spa is, and which is usually used for running; and Noria St., where the Plaza de Abastos is.

Access roads

There are a few ways to come to Archena: A-7, A-30, RM-533, RM-554 and N-301. The following roads communicate Archena with the surrounding towns and villages: MU-533 goes from Archena to Ceutí, RM-530 goes from to Mula, RM-522 leads to Ojós, RM-533 goes from Archena to Alguazas and RM-544 goes from the highway A-30 to Archena, connecting it to Murcia.

Transport

Archena has got a bus stop and a taxi stand, that is situated in Archena's city centre. Also, there is a train station between Archena and

Fortuna Fortuna (, equivalent to the Greek mythology, Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Religion in ancient Rome, Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular thr ...

. This train station is situated in the Campotejar district, with Archena to the west and Fortuna to the east. Archena has, in total, forty-eight enterprises related to the transport of goods or people.

Recreational structures

There are many parks in Archena, the most important being the one next to Plaza Primero de Mayo. Also noteworthy are Archena picnic, the Segura River promenade, the

Noria A noria (, ''nā‘ūra'', plural ''nawāʿīr'', from , ''nā‘orā'', lit. "growler") is a hydropowered '' scoop wheel'' used to lift water into a small aqueduct, either for the purpose of irrigation or to supply water to cities and village ...

by Matías Martínez, the Acebuches Noria, the José Alcolea Lacal Park and the Paira Park.

Local Council

In the past, the

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

was located in a different building. Nowadays, the Casa Grande (Big House) is the house of the local council, built by the

Order of St. John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there u ...

in the 15th century as the Casa de la Tercia ("Tercia's House"), in

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

style. By 2018, the municipal corporation is made of: * The Popular Municipal Group ( PP): with Mrs. Patricia Fernández López, Archena's current mayor, and their corresponding city councillors: one for education and equality areas; another one for taxes, security, agriculture, and water supplies areas; another one for tourism, assistance to the locals, and neighbourhood addressing areas; another one for human resources, administration, services,

sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

s, and healthcare areas; another one for family, social well-being and trade areas; another one for

urban planning Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

, and industry areas; another one for elderly people; another one for culture, municipality estataed, festivities, and sustainable development areas; and another one for youth and local development areas. * The Socialist Municipal Group (PSOE): formed by five councillors. * The "Unidas Podemos" Municipal Group: formed by two councillors. * The "Vox" Municipal Group: formed by one councillor.

Landmarks

Spa

The Balneario de Archena water

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

is the best known place of the town. The spa has three hotels, aesthetic and relax centres and ceremonial halls. The Thermal Space of the spa has a 3,000 m surface surrounded by a natural landscape next to the

, and it includes swimming pools, Jacuzzis, waterfalls and installations for children.

Local Museum

The local museum has a

modernist style Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architecture wa ...

. In the museum, the archaeological and historical rests of the town can be found. Besides, it has a room for temporal exhibitions for showing other parts of its rich history. It is near the Monte del Tío Pío, which is popular for its rich archaeological sites. The tourist office can also be found here.

Esparto Museum

The

Esparto Esparto, halfah grass, or esparto grass is a fiber produced from two species of perennial grasses of north Africa, Spain and Portugal. It is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles. '' Stipa tenacissima'' and '' Lygeum spar ...

Museum is in the Palazzo of Villarría's basement. Pieces made with

esparto Esparto, halfah grass, or esparto grass is a fiber produced from two species of perennial grasses of north Africa, Spain and Portugal. It is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles. '' Stipa tenacissima'' and '' Lygeum spar ...

of Archena's buildings replicas and tools of Archena's orchards can be visited here.

Don Mario's Castle

Don Mario's Castle has this name because its owner used to be Mario Spreáfico, a loved doctor who helped poor people in the town. This building has a fortress shape and its structure is made of a prism with cylinders in the corners. Nowadays, it is privately owned. It is located at the outskirts of the urban centre, on the top of a little hill.

The Ope

The Ope is the best-known and highest (276 meters) hill located in the north of the town. It is the most representative and symbolic of the mountains that surround Archena. Its summit, crowned with a cross, is perfectly recognizable everywhere in the town. Its cross exists since the 17th century; before, it was made of wood, but nowadays is made of iron. There is a legend that explains why it is necessary to protect the Ope. Walking up to the cross of the Ope is a very popular activity among the people who live in Archena and also among the tourists, as they are able to enjoy a beautiful view of the town and the Ricote Valley. In the first half of the route there is a path to walk, and the remaining half has to be done by climbing.

Demography

Archena has a total of 19,428 inhabitants. To be more exact, 9,223 women and 10,205 men. This town has suffered an upward progress since 1900 until 2008 (with 54% more population), and every year it goes on. In Archena there are 15,968 Spaniards and 3,460 foreigners (351 Europeans, 1,755 Africans, 1,309 Americans and 44 Asians) according to 2020 statistics. A total of 74 marriages took place in 2019. These are some 2019 statistics: * Marriage rate: 3.37 * Birth rate: 9.66 * Mortality rate: 7.88 * Vegetative growth rate: 1.79

Historical Evolution

Evolution from 1900 to 2017

According to data published by the INE on 1 January 2017, the number of inhabitants in Archena was 18,771, 37 more than in 2016. In this table we can see the evolution of the number of men, women and total population over the years. YEAR MEN WOMEN TOTAL

Maximum Seasonal Population

The maximum seasonal population is an estimate of the maximum population that Archena supports. The calculation includes people who have some kind of relationship with the municipality, either because they live, work, and study or spend some time in it.

Inhabitants by place of birth

According to data published by the INE from the 2017 municipal census, 58.39% (10,961) of the inhabitants registered in the municipality of Archena were born there, 22.82% migrated to Archena from different parts of Spain, 16.75% (3,145) from other municipalities in the

province of Murcia The Region of Murcia (, ; ; ) is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Mediterranean coast. The region is in area and had a population of 1,511,251 as at the start of 2020. About a ...

, 6.06% (1,138) from other autonomous communities and 18.79% (3,527) migrated to Archena from other countries. If we compare the census from 1996 until 2017: * The number of inhabitants born in Archena increased (346), from 58.39% to 74.95%. * The number of inhabitants born in the province of Murcia increased (668), from 16.75% to 17.49%. * The number of inhabitants born in the rest of Spain increased (274), from 6.06% to 6.10%. * The number of people born in other countries increased (3,320), from 1.46% to 18.79%.

Education

In the town of Archena there are a public nursery, "Los Colorines" and a private one, "Pequeñines". There are six public school with pre-school and primary education: CEIP Río Segura, CEIP Emilio Candel, CEIP José Alcolea Lacal, CEIP Micaela Sanz, CEIP Miguel Medina and CEIP N Sra. de la Fuensanta, belonging to the La Algaida district. In relation to secondary schools, there are two public centres with compulsory secondary education, ''bachillerato'' and vocational training degrees: IES Vicente Medina and IES Dr. Pedro Guillén, the latter placed in the neighbourhood El Otro Lao, belonging to the district of "La Algaida". Archena also counts with one semi-private school, "El Ope", that offers kindergarten, pre-school, primary and secondary education and vocational training.

Culture

Festivities

In June, the Corpus Christi festivities begin, in which various offerings are made to the Virgen de la Salud and there is usually a pilgrimage. On the Corpus Christi day, there are carpets made with coloured salt with different motives. In the last years, a "

Moros y cristianos ''Moros y Cristianos'' () or ''Moros i Cristians'' (), literally in English Moors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of Spain, mainly in the southern Valencian Community. According ...

" march has been celebrated. During the festivities, there is also a day for

paella Paella (, , , , ; ) is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. ''Paella'' is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. The dish takes its name from the wide, sha ...

s and another for gachas migas. On 1 September starts another festivity called "El Polvorín" ("the

ammunition dump {{Commons cat Logistics Logistics logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (ec ...

"). This festivity celebrates that in 1963 there were no deaths after an explosion in a warehouse with military explosives that left many material damages.

Local Museum

In addition, next to the Plaza Primero de Mayo, there used to be an

museum, though nowadays there is a museum of "Moros y Cristianos".

Groups and Cultural Associations

There are cultural groups such as the Grupo Folklórico Virgen de la Salud, Grupo Rociero Aires Andaluces and Belén Viviente (which also meets in the Plaza 1 de Mayo) and cultural associations such as Villa de Archena, which is a literary association, and Archena Rociera, which is a cultural association.

Health

The most important health center is called Mario Spreáfico. The new health center was inaugurated on 20 March 2002, and there are currently several services: pediatrics, infirmary, dentistry and physiotherapy among others. It also has a certain programmes aimed at different ages of the population such as child care programme, programme for the attention of women and adult and elderly care programme. The outpatients clinic in La Algaida (a district in Archena) is another health centre in the town. There are five pharmacies distributed throughout the town: Fuentes Ayala, C., López Atenza, V.J., Martínez Carrillo, M.D., Peña Llorens, P., and the pharmacy in La Algaida: Gómez Carrasco.

Economy

The main source of wealth in Archena is agriculture: 1,403 hectares of the town are used as farming lands where fruit trees predominate. The second source of income is

industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

: Archena has an industrial estate called "La Capellanía", where most of the companies work in manufacture, trade and rebuilding. A third source of income is tourism: Archena has representative examples of cultural heritage such a museums, churches, a theatre, etc. But doubtless the most important source of tourism is the Balneario de Archena water spa, which is 2,000 years old and offers its thermal waters to its visitors. It is probably the most popular place in Archena. The number of unemployed people in 2018 is 1,221, having descended since the previous year.

Sports

Archena is town with a lot of variety of sports and buildings for doing them.

Sport centre

There are two

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

playgrounds, one for football 7 and another for standard football, in which categories from to U23 train during the week. There are also two

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

courts, a

futsal Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...

court, a multi-use pavilion used for futsal,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

and

rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop (rhythmic gymnastics), hoop, ball (rhythmic gymnastics), ball, Clubs (rhythmic gymnastics), clubs, ribbon (rhythmic gymnastics), ...

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

and

full contact ''Full Contact'' () is a 1992 Hong Kong crime action film directed and produced by Ringo Lam. The film stars Chow Yun-fat, Simon Yam, Anthony Wong, and Ann Bridgewater. Plot The first part of the movie takes place in Bangkok, Thailand. Gou ...

, a heated swimming pool to swim all the year except in summer, when the municipal pool is used instead, and finally a fronton court.

José Alcolea Lacal School

The pavillon of this school is used as a training place for the

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

Club, basketball and rhythmic gymnastics.

Private gyms

There are five private-owned gyms in Archena: 1956 Gym, Dorian Gym, FunctionalFit, BodyFitness and Gimnasio ELITE. All of them have a big variety of training machines.

People from Archena

In Archena there are not many celebrities because it is a small town, but these are some of the most famous people from Archena:

Pablo Enríquez

A Cuban patriot who couldn't go to fight for the independence because of a heart illness. Thus, he decided to organise expeditions with humanitarian aid, but someone denounced him and he had to escape to Archena for avoiding being found.

Pedro Guillén

Dr. Pedro Guillén is considered one of the best specialists in sport's medicine. He studied at the

Complutense University of Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid (, UCM; ) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 (before relocating to Madrid in 1836), it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's ...

. In 1996, he carried out his first knee implant. He has a lot of medals and prizes, some of them are: * ''National Prize for Investigation in Sport Medicine'' by the

University of Oviedo The University of Oviedo (, Asturian: ''Universidá d'Uviéu'') is a public university in Asturias (Spain). It is the only university in the region. It has three campus and research centres, located in Oviedo, Gijón and Mieres. History Th ...

(2007). *

Doctor Honoris Causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

by The Constantinian University (2004). *Golden medal of the Region de Murcia (June 2000). BLOTTA El Ciego y poeta Medina

Vicente Medina

He was a Spanish poet and dramatist from the late 19th century. His main work, ''Aires murcianos,'' was a reference job of the sentimental

costumbrismo ''Costumbrismo'' (in Catalan: ''costumisme''; sometimes anglicized as costumbrism, with the adjectival form costumbrist) is the literary or pictorial interpretation of local everyday life, mannerisms, and customs, primarily in the Hispanic sce ...

and social criticism. He wrote around 20 poetry books and 4 theatrical dramas. He was praised by contemporary writers like Azorín.

Security

In Archena there are a Civil Guard barracks and a group of

Civil defense Civil defense or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from human-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency management: Risk management, prevention, mitigation, prepara ...

, composed by voluntary citizens. It owns two

four-wheel drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...

vehicles, a patrol car, two motorcycles for forest vigilance and two patrol motorcycles for road vigilance. It consists of four divisions: * Rescue, City and Traffic * Rescue, Sanitary and First Aids * Rescue, Countryside and Environment * Rescue and Help in case of Fires They are only used in case of emergencies, natural or deliberate catastrophes, or in events that, for a great civil gathering, are needed by the competent authorities.

Symbols

Flag

Taken from the colours of the shield, the flag is red and yellow. These are the colours of Aragon's flag, which symbolize generosity, virtue and quality. Finally, in the middle is the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

of Archena.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Archena is divided in two parts. The top part is formed by the red and yellow bars characteristic of the Aragon's Crown. In the middle there is a horizontal strip that cuts the coat of arms in two-halves. At the bottom, there are several figures placed overa blue blackground: a golden sun and a silver moon, placed in the middle. The moon is under the sun, and in the sides there are two crosses of Malta, also in silver colour. The moon is growing, with the tips pointing up, and the sun is represented by a circle surrounded by 16 rays, which means truth, abundance, wealth, liberality and benevolence. Around the coat of arms there is a

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...

which symbolizes victory. At the top of the coat of arms there is the royal crown, composed by 8

acanthus Acanthus (: acanthus, rarely acanthuses in English, or acanthi in Latin), its feminine form acantha (plural: acanthae), the Latinised form of the ancient Greek word acanthos or akanthos, or the prefix acantho-, may refer to: Biology *Acanthus ...

leaf florets and 5 pearls. Finally, in the lower part of the coat of arms there is the slogan; "Muy noble y muy leal", (Very noble and very loyal).

Hymn

On 25 July 2002, Archena's hymn, composed by Emilio Candel, was officially approved. At first, this piece of music was only for piano, but the teacher Antonio Ginés Abellán has adapted it to many instruments.

Twin towns and sister cities

Archena is related to the town of

Chesham Chesham ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom, south-east of the county town of Aylesbury, about north-west of Charing Cross, central London, and part of the London metropolitan area, London ...

since March 1995. Chesham is placed to the south-east of the county of

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

. It is well communicated with the northwest of London. In addition, it is the last station of the underground that departs from London through the

Metropolitan line The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in London Borough of Hillingdon, Hillingdon. Printed in mage ...

. Together with other cities like

Amersham Amersham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, northwest of central London, south-east of Aylesbury and north-east of High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt. There ar ...

Rickmansworth Rickmansworth () is a town in south-west Hertfordshire, England, located approximately north-west of central London, south-west of Watford and inside the perimeter of the M25 motorway. The town is mainly to the north of the Grand Union Canal ( ...

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England. It is located north-west of London; nearby towns and cities include Watford, St Albans and Berkhamsted. The population at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 cens ...

Berkhamsted Berkhamsted ( ) is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, in the River Bulbourne, Bulbourne valley, north-west of London. The town is a Civil parishes in England, civil parish with a town council within the borough of Dacorum which ...

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...

and

Slough Slough () is a town in Berkshire, England, in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4, M40 and M25 motorways. It is part of the historic county of Buckinghamshire. In 2021, the ...

, they form the Valley of the Chess, name of the river that crosses this region. The hills that surround all this zone receive the name of

Chiltern Hills The Chiltern Hills or the Chilterns are a chalk escarpment in southern England, located to the north-west of London, covering across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire; they stretch from Goring-on-Thames in the south- ...

. This city has approximately 21,176 inhabitants and an extension of 14.11 square kilometres.

References

{{authority control Municipalities in the Region of Murcia