Cartagena, Murcia
For other places of the same name, see Cartagena.
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Coat of Arms of Cartagena |
Cartagena is a Spanish Mediterranian City and
Naval Station in the southeast of the
Iberian Peninsula in the autonomous community of
Murcia. Cartagena has been the "
Spanish Navy's Capital of the Maritime Department of the Mediterranean" since the arrival of the
Spanish Bourbons in the
18th century and back in the
16th century was one of the most important naval port in
Spain, together with
El Ferrol in the North.
It is a walled town and has a fine harbour defended by forts. In the time of
Philip II of Spain, it was a major naval seaport of Spain. It's still an important naval seaport, the main military haven of
Spain, and there is a big naval shipyard.
Cartagena was founded about
230 BC by
Carthaginian general
Hasdrubal as
Qart Hadast,
Punic for "new city". Hasdrubal extended the newly acquired Carthaginian empire in Iberia by skillful diplomacy, and consolidated it by the foundation of Qart Hadast in an excellent haven as the capital of a new province.
Hannibal got
silver from the
mines there to carry on the war against Rome.
When it was taken by the
Roman general
Scipio Africanus Major in
209 BC it was renamed as
Carthago Nova,
Latin for "New Carthage". At the time Carthago Nova was said to be one of the richest cities in the world. The city gave its name (without the 'new') to the youngest province in the
Hispaniae diocese, in the form of an adjective:
Carthaginiensis.
In 1873, the garrison arose against the
First Spanish Republic and formed the
independent Cartagena Canton. Since they had the best part of the
Spanish Navy, they cruised the Spanish Mediterranean trying to bring them to
Cantonalism. The Federalist Spanish government declared them a
pirate fleet, encouraging foreign countries to chase and sink them.
Cartagena's sense of self-importance appeared again during the establishment of
Autonomous Communities in Spain. Some
Cartageneros were not happy to be in the same region as inland
Murcianos.
The Autonomy Act struck a compromise by having Murcia as the seat of the regional government and Cartagena as the seat of the parliament.
Cartagena has many archaeologic sites. Ruins identified as a temple to
Melqart have been uncovered. Throughout the old centre you can find museums with remains of Roman buildings.
Cartagena was the birthplace of
Isidore of Seville, the Director of the Holy See (Vatican) Press Office
Joaquin Navarro Valls and the Spanish writer
Arturo Pérez Reverte.
El Portús is a
nudist place in Cartagena.
*
Ferrol City and Naval Station in Northwestern
Spain.
*
Cádiz City and Naval Station in Southwestern
Spain.
*
Navantia Spanish Shipbuilding Industry
*
Spanish Navy [
1]
