Torre-Pacheco

Physical geography Torre-Pacheco municipality is located in the Campo de Cartagena region. Cabezo Gordo is one of its highest hills, at above sea level. It has no rivers with a permanent water flow, although during rainy periods streams in several arroyos (sometimes called ramblas) flow into coastal saltwater lagoon the Mar Menor. Soil in the area mainly comprises sedimentary materials (loam, sandstone and limestone). Torre-Pacheco is semi-enclosed by mountains. To the north lie the Columbares, Carrascoy, El Puerto de la Cadena, Escalona and Altalona ranges, and to the south the ranges of La Unión, Roldán, La Muela, Las Victorias and Cartagena. == Demographics ==

As of 2020, 30.34% inhabitants are foreigners - 18.23% are Africans, 5.22% are European, 4.67% are Americans, and 2.22% are Asian. The below table shows total population per decade. == History ==

The territory of the current municipality has been inhabited since the Lower Paleolithic. There is evidence of occupation by Homo heidelbergensis between 150,000 and 125,000 BC at the Sima de las Palomas site on Cabezo Gordo hill. Neanderthals also lived in the area from 120,000 to 35,000 BC. The 16 Roman villas found in the area date back to the period of Roman Hispania. The Romans quarried marble from a Cabezo Gordo deposit. Among economic activities in the area, fertile soils made it suitable for crop growing and livestock farming. The first historic references to Torre-Pacheco date back to the 13th century. Landowners settling in the area of today's municipality in the Late Middle Ages gave their names to its towns and villages. The Saavedra family came from Galicia, the Roda family from Navarre, and the Pacheco family from Portugal. On 7 November 1478, the council of Murcia granted land to Pedro Pacheco. The tower and country property he built founded the town of Torre-Pacheco and gave it its name. Los Álcazares, Fuente Álamo and Torre-Pacheco were the first settlements in the region where before there had only been sparsely scattered buildings. In 1900, the population of the area was 8,549. Fifty years later, it had increased to 10,409.. These actions led to hunts against migrants, especially in the San Antonio neighbourhood, which is mainly inhabited by foreigners. An extensive police operation was deployed, resulting in 14 arrests, many of them with criminal records. == Economy ==

One of the main economy activities of Torre-Pachecho is agriculture. 62.8% of the territory is occupied by crop lands. The most widely grown products are the artichokes, melons and lettuces. 83.12% agreements corresponded to agriculture jobs in 2018 and 85.28% were signed by labourers. Other noteworthy sectors are animal husbandry and services. 14.09% of the contracts existed in the tertiary sector area in Torre-Pacheco. == Government ==

As generally in Spain, the governors are elected indirectly by voting for a political party in the autonomous community and municipality elections every four years. The political parties chooses the concejales (governors) from the votes and is occurs proportionally according to the votes. There is a largest government body named consistorio, which is made up of 21 members in Torre-Pacheco and a governing cabinet named equipo de gobierno municipal. The alcalde (head governor, equivalent of mayor) is elected from the members of the consistorio and he chooses the members of the equipo de gobierno. Nine members of the consistorio are partisans of Partido Independiente de Torre-Pacheco, eight members are partisans of Partido Socialista Obrero Español, three members are partisans of Vox, two members are partisans of Partido Popular and one member is partisan of Somos Región. The partisans of Partido Independiente de Torre-Pacheco and Paritio Socialista Obrero Español are also members of the governing cabinet. == Healthcare ==

The municipality is included in the Health area VIII (Mar Menor) of Region of Murcia. Two of the eight subareas occupy territory of the municipality: Torre-Pacheco Este (East Torre-Pacheco) and Torre-Pacheco Oeste (West Torre-Pacheco). The territory is home to five consultorios (primary healthcentre with fewer functions than the centros de salud) and they are distributed in the following way: one consultorio for Roldán, another for Balsicas, there is also a consultorio in Los Dolores, another one in El Jimenado and San Cayetano also hosts a health centre with this category. Two centros de salud are placed in the main town. == Education ==

2 public early childhood and primary education centres, a concertado (private with government money supply) primary and secondary centre, and 2 public secondary education centres are located in the main town. Some villages such as Garre, Dolores, Alba, San Cayetano and Roldán host an early childhood and primary education centre. There is also a secondary education centre in Roldán. Other centres that can be found in the main town are one of the national language teaching institution and another for agriculture education, where degrees of vocational education about this area are taught. A centre for adult education (CEA) is also located in the town. == Transportation ==

Part of the A-30 national highway occurs in the south-west and near El Jimenado. The highway also takes place in the border between Lobosillo (Murcian exclave district) and Torre-Pacheco and the border between Fuente Álamo de Murcia and Torre-Pacheco. There is also a regional road named RM-F14, which connects the A-30 highway to the main town; the RM-F, which connects Cartagena and Torre-Pacheco; the RM-F36, which connects Cartagena and Torre-Pacheco; the RM-F30 road, which connects Torre-Pacheco and Los Alcázares; the RM-F21, which connects Torre-Pacheco and Roldán; and a few other regional roads. The bus station is placed in the south-eastern quarter of the main town. Bus services from and to Murcia, Cartagena, Elche, Alicante, and other populated places are available. A railway traverses the municipality from south to north and occurs next to Torre-Pacheco by its west and next to Balsicas by its east. There is also a train station in both localities. == Main sights ==

• Centre for the Performing Arts, C.A.E.S.: The Centre for the Performing Arts (Centro de Artes Escénicas, C.A.E.S.), inaugurated on 16 September 2006, is an example of modern architecture. Its 4000 m2 space houses facilities for drama, dance, music and cinema, and its auditorium seats 600 people. • Municipal library: The municipal library was opened on 23 January 2007. The building has a surface area of 2,204 m2, and is set in 18,000 m2 of landscaped open space. The library is in part underground, where ramps connect several levels. The building holds a late-opening quiet area, classrooms and conference rooms, a reading and study room, and an exhibition gallery. • IFEPA: Its name is an acronym that comes from Instituto Ferial de Torre-Pacheco. This huge building is home to several exhibitions and each one usually takes place at the same date every year. It was inaugurated in 1984. • El tío Facorro windmill: The first documentary reference about this mill dates back to 1833. It has a circle-shaped plan and is 12 metres tall. Local sights • Castillo de Ros: The castle was originally built for the Congregation of Saint Philip Neri, on its estate in the hamlet of Balsicas. It was bought by Antonio Ros de Olano y Perpigná, a soldier stationed in Cartagena, in February 1844. Antonio Ros was later named Viscount Ros de Olano and Marquis of Gaud-el-Yehi by Queen Isabella II. Various alterations were made to the building, known as the Castillo de Ros, by his son and grandson. • Casa Valderas: This neoclassical leisure property was built in the final years of the 19th century. It is set among gardens and orchards. • El Pasico shrine: This building was built in the 19th century and is related to a piece about the virgin, which is made of veins of alabaster. There is a religious legend about its appearance. • El Pasico windmill: Documentary sources mention this windmill to appear in 1844. It has a circle-shaped plan. == Festivals ==

• The El Pasico Festival is a popular festival held on Easter Monday in association with the El Pasico shrine. A mass celebrated at the shrine is followed by a fair featuring amusement park rides and festivities. In the evening, the traditional mona de Pascua pastry is eaten. • The Melon Festival was founded by the then mayor of Torre-Pacheco in 1969 to celebrate the melon, first grown in the municipality in the early 20th century. • International Flamenco Folk Singing Festival: It takes place in Lo Ferrro, which is a little village near Roldán. It is held in the last week of August. • Patron saint festivity: The reason for the festivity is the Virgin of the Rosary (the virgin in a facet in which she is related to the rosary catholic pray). It occurs in the first half of October. An event which consist in electing three female children and three female teenagers to hold the symbolic role of queen and Dames takes place in the beginning of the festivity and it is named Coronación de reinas y damas. There is also a function for opening the festivity which consist in firing a rocket-shaped firecracker and it is named chupinazo. A choir and dancing festival also occurs in a festive day. A flea market where handcraft elements are for sale is placed during the festive period. A parade also occurs during the festivity. A revere flower placement also takes place. Many other activities are also performed during this period. Festivities in other localities • Patron saint festivity in Roldán: It is held in March and is devoted to Saint Joseph. Some events of the festivity are the coronación de reinas y damas, the chupinazo, a revere flower placement to the patron saint, a parade and a performance of a musical composition named Diana Floreada. • Patron saint festivity in El Jimenado: It takes place in the first half of September. • Patron saint festivity in Balsicas: Some events are the coronación de reinas y damas and a flower revere placement to the virgin. == Notable people ==

• Antonio Ros de Olano (1808–1886): writer, politician, soldier. Antonio Ros fought in the First Carlist War (1833–1840) and in the Hispano-Moroccan War (1859–1860), in which his influence was decisive. He served as Trade Minister in Spain's Ministry of Trade, Education and Public Works, and was made a senator for life in 1877. He also held the 19th-century office of jefe político superior ('senior political chief'), the role of top administrative civil servant of a province of Spain. Antonio Ros was also a founder of Spain's 19th-century Unión Liberal (Liberal Union) party. • Pedro Cerdán Martínez (1863–1947): architect. Known for designing notable buildings in La Unión, including the Antiguo Mercado Público de La Unión (former public market building). • Luis Manzanares (1895–1980): writer. • Alberto Garre López (1952): politician, president of Region of Murcia from 2014 to 2015. • Gloria Rodríguez Sánchez (1992): road and track cyclist. ==References==