Hotel Siete Coronas * * * *

The hotel's city centre location means that it is within walking distance of many of Murcia's main points of interest; the city's Fine Art Museum and the cathedral are both about 300 metres away and the Salzillo Museum is within a kilometre

Abderraman II founded the city of Murcia in 825. In the 19th century it was an emerging place and Capital City, with an important court of artists and scientists. The remains of buildings, the city’s defensive wall and the irrigation system in the Huerta have all been conserved form Moorish times. Murcia was the capital of the kingdom and the current structure of the city and the layout of the streets are the result of her Moorish heritage. From the second half of the 13th century the city enjoyed a time of great splendour. The King Alfonso X the Wise, who spent long periods of time in Murcia, established the socio- economic bases of the municipally. The city was given a number of privileges by the monarch to encourage commerce and harmony amongst the different cultures and religions living together. It was in the 18th century that the city became truly splendid and it is known as the Murcian Golden Age. During this time, great urban and administrative changes took place encouraged by great Murcian close to the court and holding responsible positions, for example, Cardenal Belluga or the Count of Floridabalnca.
In the last decades of the 20th century, the city, with its solid political and socio- economic base, saw a spectacular growth and renovation of its streets.
With such a history this city has many interesting historical buildings to visit:
The Cathedral: It dates from 14th to 18th centuries. A brilliant summing- up of the styles of more than five centuries, this wonderful architectural gem boats four outstanding elements: the altarpiece- like Baroque façade of the “Puerta del Perdón”, the Gothic chapel of the Velez family, the Renaissance “Junterones” chapel and the symbol of our city: the ninety- six metre tower with is twenty- five bells, an unusual piling- up of styles whose majestic beauty can be seen high above the city from miles around.
The Church of “Nuestro Padre Jesus: 17th century. Built by Francisco Montiyuelo and Blas Lopez on the site of an earlier chapel it belongs to the religious fraternity of the same name, founded in 1600. The façade was completely remodelled in the 18th century. Restored in the twentieth century, in 1960 it became a museum of the works of Francisco Salzillo, displaying a fundamental part of the huge body of creative work by our brilliant local wood- carver (1707-1781). The main feature is the set of eight processional floats belonging to the fraternity and the 556 figures of the world- famous Christmas Crib.
The Casino: 1847. In 1902 Pedro Cerdán carried out the building of the present fancifully- styled façade giving onto the Calle Trapería, a centuries old social life in the city, containing a lovely library, the hidden secrets of the Ladie´s Powder Room, a magnificent Moorish patio designed by Manuel Castaños and a splendid Neobaroque Ballroom, all well- worth a visit.
Other places to visit:

The Bishop´s Palace
The Convent church of Santa Ana
The Malecon Walk