Moratalla is a small town and the center of a large

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' ...

of the same name in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia in southeastern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. In 2018, the population of Moratalla was 7,944: some 5,600 in the town of Moratalla itself and the rest in districts such as Otos, Benizar, El Sabinar or Casa Requena. Its main economic resources are

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

(apricots, almonds, olives and olive oil, wood, barley).

Geography

It is chiefly a mountainous and comparatively cool territory (with regard to the region), snow being frequent in the highest zones (Revolcadores, ) and cold valleys (Campo de San Juan, El Sabinar). It is crossed by minor rivers (Alhárabe, Benamor) which flow into the Segura. There is a main reservoir of the Segura at El Cenajo. Main representatives of the local fauna are

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

s, Spanish Ibex, short-toed eagles and Moorish turtles. Wide portions of the municipality are protected in ''ZEPAs'' (

Special Protection Area A special protection area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cer ...

s) or ''LICs'' ( Site of Community Importance areas).

History

There are some spots with cave paintings in this current municipality that give of people occupancy during the Prehistory. There was presence of people during the Bronze Age, and presence of people who belonged to Argaric culture during the late Bronze Age. After the Muslim invasion (711-726), some Berber clans settled in Moratalla. Moratalla was conquered by the Order of Santiago (a religious military order) in 1212, in the context of Reconquista and the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. An own municipality was established for Moratalla in 1245, after the Castilian conquest in Taifa of Murcia, and it split from the municipality Segura de la Sierra (in Jaén province). Francis, Duke of Cádiz (13 May 1822 – 17 April 1902),

king consort A prince consort is the husband of a monarch who is not a monarch in his own right. In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal title, such as ''prince''. Most monarchies do not allow the husband of a queen regnant to be ...

of Spain, adopted the incognito title of Count of Moratalla after his exile to France in 1868.

Demographics

4.25% inhabitants are foreigners – 1.5% are from other countries of Europe, 2.15% are Africans, 36 (0.45%) are Americans and 12 Asian people (0.15%) reside in Moratalla. The table below shows the population trend during 20th and 21st centuries by the beginning of the decades.

Economy

In 2022, 20% of the territory is utilised for agriculture purposes; the most widely grown crops are almonds, barley, olives, oats, and lavender. Across all of 2022, 20.14% of employment contracts were signed for agriculture and fishing jobs, 55.26% were signed for jobs in the industrial sector, 2.52% were signed for jobs in the construction sector, and 22.07% were signed by workers of the service sector.

Main sights

Moratalla's sights include the Fortress Castle (), home to the "Tribute Tower" (), a military-gothic style building which dates from the 15th century. There is also an Arab castle in Benizar, built in the 12th century. The Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Asunción () dates from the 16th century). Other churches include Santa Ana or San Francisco and the "House of Christ" (), on the mountain, built by the Order of La Merced from the 16th century. There are two Roman bridges in Moratalla: the Jesus Christ Bridge over the Benámor River, and the Hellin Bridge over the Alhárabe River.

Events

Holy Week

During the

Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...

, there is a traditional ''tamborada'', a collective drumming performance in what is known as the Drummers Festival ("Fiestas del Tambor de Moratalla"), which can last for three days (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday). In southern Spain, ''tamboradas'' are characteristic of Moratalla as well as of Mula (in Murcia) and

Hellín Hellín is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain located in the province of Albacete, Castilla–La Mancha. The municipality spans across a total area of 781.66 km2. As of 1 January 2020, it has a population of 30,200, which mak ...

and Tobarra (in Albacete). A unique aspect of Moratalla's Holy Week is that every ''tamborista'' (snare drummer) dresses in distinct, handmade robes and for some hoods or capiotes. The snare drums of the town, which are larger today, are also traditionally handmade with the snares made currently of similar materials as those made in Mula, which are beaten currently with special drumsticks shaped like mallets.

Fiestas del Santísimo Cristo del Rayo

The celebration of the Holy Christ of the Thunder takes place in the streets of Moratalla, in which cows and bulls are set free. People get together into their ''peñas'', placed in the Eldest Street "Calle Mayor", where they enjoy the party. There is also a fair which may be visited every night from 10 to 17 July. It's like an amusement park with many "street-shops" where you can buy some handmade products.

Notable people

* Esteban Navarro (Moratalla, 1965), writer. Born in Moratalla.

Images

Image:Moratalla iglesia Asuncion.jpg, Santa María de la Asunción Image:Moratalla-Buitre-Murcia-Spain-2005.jpg, Old district and Buitre hilltop Image:Moratalla-Alharabe.jpg, Alhárabe River Image:Campo-de-san-Juan-Moratalla-Murcia.jpg, Campo de San Juan

References

Population in 2009 (where 000000=municipality; 000200=city)

External links

Official website

Asociación de tamboristas

Information and tourism resources

Viva Murcia
community info for Moratalla
{{authority control Municipalities in the Region of Murcia