BLANCA
SECONDARY
SCHOOL
A BRIEF HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE VILLAGE .
Blanca belongs to Murcia, a Spanish county located to the South east of the country. Its geographical location coincides with the Segura river course on whose left bank this little town is located. It is 33km. from the capital, Murcia . It is 87,7 km2 wide and 233m high. Within its limits we can find the Solán hills and the area known as the Navela where a natural leisure zone is used by visitors as an ideal place to spend their free time.
2. A BRIEF HISTORICAL ACCOUNT ON THE VILLAGE
According to recent research, we can firmly state that there is no hint whatsoever about the existence of Blanca until the very end of the XI century, it was during the Muslim ruling over the area that the village was known not as Blanca (white) but as Negra (black) due to the existence of a rare black feldspathic rock known as andesita augitica (scientific label) set on the hill side.
Blanca seems totally linked to the Ricote Valley, an area of great importance during the first years of the XIII century due to the fact that Abu Abd Muhamad ibn Yúsuf ibn Hud, rebels against the rulers of the kingdom of Murcia, and becomes an independent emir yet he would be murdered two years later.
Later, on 19 December 1285, the king Sancho IV, would hand it over to the Santiago military brotherhood. It is in 1383 when the name of Blanca (white) appears for the first time in an official written text in which Martin Alonso de Valdivieso, a representative figure of the government of Murcia at that time, asked for the release of a Muslim citizen from Blanca who had been accused by some Jewish citizen from Elche.
THE VILLAGE CHURCH
The village church origins can be traced back to the beginning of the XVI century, when, obeying to the king's commands, Muslim mosques were turned into catholic temples. The dome fresco paintings by Muñoz Barberán and the wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ by Francisco Sánchez Tapia, are to be highlighted.
It was probably built before the XII century; its ruins prove not only the importance of the village at the time, but also the fact that Mr. Enrique de Aragón lived there in 1445 and that very relevant regional matters were handled there too.
C. OTHER MONUMENTS
It would also be interesting to mention other monuments in the village such as The victoria theatre, The Count's House (XIX c.) and La Favorita (XIX c.) among others.
D. ART
Blanca is also the birthplace of painters like Carlos González Gieger, Emilio Molina, Luis Molina, Luis Fernández and the international Pedro Cano who has travelled around the world depicting such exotic landscapes as the ones in Yemen, Syria, Egypt, Jordan... at present, he is still showing his work at the most famous art galleries in the world, although one could come across him o the streets of Blanca on a sunny Sunday morning.
A- THE St. ROQUE PILGRIMAGE &
THE ENCIERRO (bull pen).
These are the two most typical festivities in Blanca.
The St. Roque pilgrimage is a 5 km walk in honour of this Saint (the village patron). It takes place one week after Easter. It starts very early in the morning and one can hear the church bells ring, fireworks, and music announcing that the statue of the Saint on a float is being taken out of the village catholic church on some villagers' shoulders.
Meanwhile, people of all ages follow it up to the St. Roque hermitage on the hill side. Once they have arrived there, the Mass is celebrated and people have lunch in the open air, dance and enjoy themselves.
In the afternoon, they go back to the village and put the statue back into the temple. No one is a stranger on such a special day.
This is another event that turns the village into a joyful fuss and attracts many visitors to it. The encierro (bull pen) reminds us of the San Fermines in Pamplona (on 7 July), on the encierro day, adult bulls are set loose in the village square and they run along the village streets while young men and women run before them trying to dodge their charges.
They are driven to the bull-fighting ring where they'll be fought at the end of the bull pen.
B- SPORT.
Blanca, due to its incomparable natural scenery, offers innumerable possibilities to practise outdoors sports like trekking, mountain bike, or canoeing which is one of the most popular sports in the village being promoted by the canoeing club founded in 1980, and where the winners of some national championships started their careers.
5. CRAFTSWORK
Esparto grass articles like cordage, carpets, baskets etc... are hand-made by the village craftsmen; they started being produced in 1929.
Embroidering is also part of the typical craftswork in Blanca; as a matter of fact we can find them in the typically regional huertana (peasant woman) dress.
Webpage designed and maintained by : Mª José Marín Pérez (GCSE English teacher).
Pictures: Frutos J. Molina Palazón.
