La cathédrale de Murcie

The main monument of touristic interest in Murcia, this cathedral is hsowing a vast number of differnt architectural styles making it unique. Indeed, its construction begun in the 14th century and ended in the 19th, the styles changed from Baroque to Gothic. Its spectacular and admirable facade from the Cardenal Belluga square can only leave us speechless, day or night.

Upon entering, you can admire the chapels and paintings along the walls under the Latin inscriptions. In the center, there is the area for the mass and this imposing organ. At certain times of the day, we can see the most pious praying or confessing.

The Spanish and Italian architects led the work of the cathedral to the tower, the second largest in Spain. While they halted its construction at the two-thirds in the 15th century because of fundings, it was two centuries later that it continued its rise.

One can distinguish an inclination to the left compared to the houses in the background. It was rectified by putting more weight on the other side. This building is only accessible from outside by "la puerta del pozo" and offers us the opportunity to admire an incredible view of Murcia. But before that, it is up to us to climb these slopes getting steeper and steeper eache step of the way

The first step stops us in the archives room that I unfortunately did not have the chance to see. Then, the secret room, or in Spanish "la sala de los secretos", opens its doors sheltering its old clock became digital. This vaulted place allows you to whisper a message from one corner of the wall to transmit it on the other side. As low as it will be, the voice will run along the wall to reach the listener's ear. Moreover, by standing in the center of the room, all the conversations around us can be listened to thanks to its acoustics.

On the upper floor, we have a first glimpse of the resplendent view, the one that all visitors contemplate, but being the only one for the visit that day, the surprises of the cathedral were far from over... The guide then takes me upstairs this time by stairs, where remain the 20 bells of the "torre". Each one, from the smallest to the largest, surrounding the tower so that all the city of Murcia hear them when they ring.

For the record, this specific building empowered the peasants to know every 15 minutes when to water their crops, and a slight delay could cause chaos. Reaching this floor, the friendly guide still allows me to go up, despite it being forbidden. From this point of view which is perfectly in the center, we could see and listen to the bells ringing four times an hour. Although she warned me, the fright still came because of by the magnitude of the sound.

Then, the moment had come to go out on this narrow platform surrounding the "torre". All Murcia was around me, under this unbearable summer heat, when it was only 11am, but nothing could take my eyes off this landscape. Plaza Santo Domingo, La Merced, Rio Segura, until Monte Agudo, I recognized every corner of this city that welcomed me for a year. Thanks to the guide who braved the restriction to make my last days in Murcia all the more authentic... Of course, it was at the end of my stay that I finally decided to visit the cathedral and more particularly its tower, but I dont think there was a better end than the beauty of this site!