Plaza de Santa Eulalia Murcia

The plaza was once the site of a Mediaeval entrance gate into the city

The Plaza de Santa Eulalia in Murcia is one of the many popular squares and open spaces enjoyed by local residents, and is located between Calle Cánovas del Castillo and Calle San Antonio, half-way between the bull ring and the Cathedral and approximately four minutes’ walk from both.

This is the heart of the district, or Barrio, de Santa Eulalia, and this plaza and the church within it are at the centre of many of the festive activities which take place in this area of the city.

The main attractions for visitors here are the church of Santa Eulalia, the Chapel of San José and the remains of the Moorish city wall which were discovered during excavations in 1964 and are now enclosed within the museum dedicated to conserving them: the Museo Muralla.

This corner of the plaza was once occupied by one of the main gates into the old Moorish city: the "Puerta de Orihuela" or “Puerta de las Siete Puertas” which was built in the 12th century over ground once belonging to a Moorish cemetery, was rebuilt in the 15th century and finally demolished in 1868 when the walls which once surrounded the city was becoming a serious impediment to its urban expansion.

Among the orange and palm trees there is also the monument created in 1899 by Sánchez Araciel to Francisco Salzillo, the 18th century sculptor who is arguably Murcia’s most famous artist, to whom the Museo Salzillo is dedicated on the opposite side of the city.

In the Middle Ages one of the main gates to the city was located in what is now the Plaza de Santa Eulalia, and nearby was also a Moorish cemetery or burial ground. Prior to the church and chapel which now stand here there was a small church dedicated to San Blas, who is still worshipped in this part of the city in a procession alongside the Virgen de la Candelaria every year in early February.

On the northern side of the square is a stylish residential building which was once the Palacio Meoro but which has undergone such substantial reforms as to bear little resemblance to the original.

The Plaza de Santa Eulalia is in the heart of Murcia and yet somehow off the main beaten track for many visitors. The historic buildings are smaller in scale than others like the Cathedral and the Casino, the shops are neighbourhood stores rather than international brand name boutiques and the area has a distinctly residential feel to it despite its central location.

However, it is well worth a visit not only to see the visitors centre and the church but also precisely because it is a slice of “real” Murcia, within easy striking distance of the river, the Plaza San Juan, the main shopping district, the Cathedral and the lively bars and “tascas” district of the old city.

Click for map: Plaza de Santa Eulalia Murcia