Murcia City Hall, also known as the Casa Consistorial, is a 19th century building, built between 1846 and 1848. It’s situated on Glorieta de España, just a short distance from Murcia Cathedral and the San Juan de Dios monumental ensemble (Conjunto Monumental de San Juan de Dios).
The building is in a Neoclassical style and is the work of the architect Juan José Belmonte. It occupies the site at which the city council has been meeting since the Middle Ages. After Murcia had been reconquered from the Arabs once and for all, in 1266, the building that had hitherto been the Prince’s Palace was gifted by Alfonso X ‘the Wise’ to the city so that Murcia could build its own city hall.
But it was not until the 19th century that the city hall acquired the shape that it has today. At that point, the Mayor of Murcia, Salvador Marín Baldo, commissioned Belmonte to design a new city hall. The façade has four imposing Corinthian columns supporting a pediment that carries the main balcony. In the centre of the roundabout there are two islands with a large garden of red flowers, around a large fountain.
Adjacent to the town hall is a building designed by Rafael Moneo. It was built in 1998 and you should definitely see it at night, because the floor lights that illuminate the walls in pink and orange tones are a sight not to be missed.
To get to Murcia City Hall, you can come from Calle del Arenal or Calle de San Patricio. If you’re looking for parking in the area, you’ll find a Saba car park close to Glorieta de España. What’s more, it’s open 24 hours a day.
