monksnego

Discovering Cartagena

More Articles By Phillip Bruce www.raxomnium.com

Monks Were Hostage Negotiators

The Plaza Merced is one of Cartagena’s old squares and it takes its name from an order of monks that were noted hostage negotiators and rescuers of kidnap victims.

For much of its history Cartagena was at the border line between Islam and Christianity. The city was recovered from the Muslims in the 13^th century but the powerful Kingdom of Granada still lay to the south. In addition, throughout the following centuries there were constant coastal raids by vicious pirates based in North Africa and attacks on shipping in the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

People were often taken prisoner and held for ransom – a fate that befell Spain’s greatest writer, Cervantes, amongst others. A system of negotiations and pay offs developed and monks of the Order of Mercy, or Merced, were deeply involved. They attempted, often with considerable success, to rescue hostages from their imprisonment and would sometimes offer themselves in place of the prisoners.

Cartagena’s monastery of the order was in the area that is now the Plaza de Merced and, indeed, the square may have been the monks’ garden or cloisters. The trees have huge roots.

Have a look at the tall narrow building at a corner of the square with its beautiful circular window. The ornate building with the colourful tiles and the stone bees was the home of the powerful Aguirre family. The Murcia regional museum of modern art is being built right next to it.

At the other side of the square you can see the old Cine Central. This was one of the first cinemas to be opened in Cartagena, at the start of the 20^th Century. Apparently, it is very beautiful inside and plans to restore it have been under discussion for years without any progress being made. The problem seems to be coming up with a scheme that produces reasonable revenue.

A rather forlorn looking bust of one of Cartagena’s noted military men, Francisco Villamartin, stands in the Merced plaza, with the dates 1840 to 1872. He attended the Military College in Madrid and after rising to the rank of Captain he asked for a transfer to the Spanish colony of Cuba. He served with the garrison of Santiago de Las Vega before returning to Spain. He was then posted to Madrid where his writings, such as The Military Art, were highly regarded. He was influential military commentator and was an enthusiastic republican with socialist leanings who was regarded as something of a philosopher.

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