Caravaca de la Cruz Town Council is carrying out work to create a new public square in the town’s historic centre, a space that will be linked to Los Huertos del Vicario, Calle Nueva and Callejón Frías. The project, with a budget of €116,820, is being carried out on the site formerly occupied by a house, allowing this area to be reclaimed for public use and expanding the green spaces and meeting places in the historic centre.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version).
The mayor, José Francisco García, accompanied by the Councillor for Tourism and the Environment, Ana Belén Martínez, and municipal officials Ramón Giménez and José Manuel Alcázar, visited the site to see the progress of the works, which form part of the initiatives to enhance and showcase the historic centre.
During the visit, the mayor emphasised that “this new square will serve as a natural extension of Los Huertos del Vicario, one of the most unique green spaces created in the heart of the historic centre, helping to create a more attractive, accessible and liveable urban route for residents and visitors alike”. José Francisco García also emphasised that “we are continuing to make progress in the regeneration of derelict spaces to transform them into communal areas that enhance Caravaca’s heritage and tourist appeal, as part of the strategy to revitalise the historic centre”.
The project has a total budget of €116,820, of which €90,250 is funded by European Next Generation funds through the ‘Camino a Caravaca’ Tourism Sustainability Plan, whilst the remaining €26,561 comes from the budget of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia via the Works and Services Plan.
The new square will be configured with two distinct spaces. On the one hand, a children’s play area will be created, incorporated into the project in response to suggestions made by local residents. On the other hand, an area will be created for residents and visitors to meet and relax, with a design integrated into the historic setting and intended to enhance the neighbourhood’s urban quality.
From an architectural perspective, the project creates a public space with an ornamental character, defined by high-quality materials, traditional elements and a symmetrical layout organised around a central axis. The paving will alternate terracotta slabs with cobblestones, a combination that will give the whole area a distinct visual identity, following a style similar to that used in the Plaza de los Armaos, situated at the entrance to Caravaca Castle. This composition pays homage to historic urban spaces in the Mediterranean region, blending harmoniously into the surroundings of the old town.
In the centre of the square, a circular ornamental fountain will be installed, serving as a visual landmark and meeting point. The space will be bounded by a perimeter fence of black wrought iron along the sections facing Calle Nueva and Callejón Frías, resting on a masonry plinth clad in stone or painted render, which will visually elevate the whole and reinforce its representative character. The fencing will feature classical motifs inspired by the traditional ironwork of the area. Decorated wrought-iron arches will be integrated into the main entrances, serving to emphasise the access points to the site and allowing for the future incorporation of climbing plants to provide shade and natural coolness.
The perimeter of the square will be enhanced with trees and flowering shrubs, which will create a green buffer zone along the boundary, helping to improve the landscape integration of the space. The scheme will be complemented by street furniture in keeping with the historic surroundings, including benches, street lamps, planters and a drinking fountain.
This new project follows on from the major work recently carried out at Los Huertos del Vicario and forms part of the urban improvement measures included in the ‘Camino a Caravaca’ Tourism Sustainability Plan, which aims to revitalise the historic centre and enhance its heritage and tourist value.
