Beniaján is a village located in the
Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia (, ; es, Región de Murcia ), is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. The region is in ...
(
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
), beside the mountains that close the Valley of
Segura
Segura (, ; la, Thader; ar, شقورة, Shaqūrah, or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura.
Course
The river begins at Santiago Pontones ( province of Jaén), passes Calasparra, C ...
. It has a population of around 11,000, and is not far from the region's capital,
Murcia
Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...
.
Beniaján is known for the abundant production of citrus fruits that its factories export around the world; this is the most important economic activity in this city.
The town was founded during
Roman times
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
. Since before the 18th century, the
''Virgen del Carmen'' has been the Patrona (patron saint) of Beniaján. A statue is carried in procession annually in celebration of her feast day.
Main sights
*San Juan Bautista's church and Patrona's Chapel (17th-20th centuries)
*Villanueva's church, Virgin of Azahar
*Mirador de San Antón (viewing point)
*
Puntarrón Chico, a rocky spur commanding the city, home to an
Argaric
The Argaric culture, named from the type site El Argar near the town of Antas, in what is now the province of Almería in southeastern Spain, is an Early Bronze Age culture which flourished between c. 2200 BC and 1550 BC.
The Argaric culture ...
archaeological site
*Parque Regional de El Valle y Carrascoy (mountains and natural spaces with special protection)
Festivals
These are the main festivities of the town:
*San Antón, 17 January
*
Carnival
*
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
*
Virgin of Azahar, 1 May
*
''Virgen del Carmen'', Patrona (patron saint) of Beniaján, 16 July
See also
*
El Argar
El Argar is an Early Bronze Age culture that was based in Antas, Almería, within modern Spain. It is believed to have been active from about 2200 B.C. to 1500 B.C.Lull et al."Emblems and spaces of power during the Argaric Bronze Age at La Almol ...
Sources
External links
Beniaján - Portal Ayuntamiento de Murcia'(in Spanish)''
Beniaján - Región de Murcia Digital''(in Spanish)''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beniajan
Municipalities in the Region of Murcia