Fortuna - Murcia Province

Spa town by the river Segura

Fortuna town is famous for the abundance of its hot springs. Water, scarce in this area, flows freely in Fortuna, giving rise to a number of fountains such as la Higuera, la Cueva Negra or los Baños, thermal springs that were already popular in Roman times and which have today converted Fortuna into an important spa town.
Fortuna has a population of 6200.
It is 45 kilometres to the coast and the City of Murcia is 18 kilometres and Alicante airport 60 kilometres.
A new international Airport is due to open in 2010, just south west of Murcia.

History
Fortuna's history goes back to Iberian settlements, the remains of which can still be seen in outlying districts such as Caprés, Castillejo or Cortao de las Peñas. The Arab domination is still visible in the Castillico de los Moros (Moors´ Castle). The town´s cultural heritage is enriched with the Baroque-style Parish Church of La Purísima, the Convent and the Town Hall (which conserves some beautiful panneaux), all constructed in an aesthetic modernist style.

Balneario de Fortuna-Leana

This historic spa was originally built in 1896, but has recently been thoroughly renovated - don't worry it still exudes its celebrated charm! Its pools and baths take advantage of 126°F (52.2°C) thermal waters bubbling from beneath the ground; the same waters prized by ancient Romans and Iberians.

The water's unique composition is known to help with rheumatic arthritis, osteoporosis and respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis... oh, it's also known to slay stress and leave you rather lovely and relaxed! Whether you take a dip in the thermal baths, enjoy a sublime massage or drift to sleep during aromatherapy, this spa will make you feel young again.
                                                                                                     El Balneario Romano

This phenomenal archaeological site dates back over two thousand years, when it was the site of both an Iberian and Roman spa. The site is found just 3km north of Fortuna in the Sierra del Baño and excavations didn't start here until 1991.
The Hostelry is thought to date back to the 1st century AD and consists of several small rooms and two large cisterns. As the name would imply, the rooms are believed to have been lodgings for the ancient spa.

Sitting nearby, on the eastern side on the Sierra del Baño, is the 1st century BC Nymphaeum. Three successive digs between 1999 and 2001 revealed a semicircular, stepped sanctuary around a fissure where the thermal waters used to rise to the earth's surface.
La Cueva Negra

Between Fortuna and El Balneario Romano, within an outcrop of the Sierra del Baño, is this intriguing site that's linked to El Balneario Romano. The blackened walls of this cave (la Cueva Negra translates to 'the Black Cave') host numerous inscriptions known as tituli picti. The most significant inscriptions date from the 1st century AD and detail a cult of nymphs and other divinities, like Bacchus, Esculapio and Cibeles.

Archaeological work started here earlier (early 1980s) than at El Balneario Romano. Numerous exports have poured over the walls texts and most believe that it was a place of worship for both Romans in the 1st century AD and for Iberians during the Bronze Age. It's thought to have been most active during the 5th century BC.
Castillejo de los Baños

Set on a small plain, only 100m from El Balneario Romano, this archaeological site contains numerous tombs and artefacts. A wide variety of Iberian weapons, like falcatas and spears, have been discovered along with fine examples of Iberian ceramics. Ancient ploughs and sickles have also been unearthed and tell of the Iberians agricultural prowess.
Castillico de las Peñas

Atop a rocky outcrop, some 430m above see level, are the ruins of Castillico de las Peñas (Castle of the Rocks). The site has yet to be fully excavated but historians have concluded that the site contains several different phases.

The first is believed to be Iberian and dates back to the 5th century BC. Unlike many similar buildings of the same time period, the Castillico de las Peñas survived the Second Punic war and was inhabited until the end of the 2nd century AD.
Fuente de Fortuna

Fuente de Fortuna or Source of Fortune is the site of the spring that the village of today was built around. The tapping of the Old Source (as it's also known) was as an important development as the introduction of the automobile to the wee village.

The fountain structure was rediscovered near the streets of San Leandro and San Isidro in 1991 and was in a sad state of repair. The age of the structure is still hotly debated... the style of the structure screams 16th century Renaissance, though the inscription Reinando Carlos IV would lend credence to those who date it to the late 18th century
Castillo de los Moros or Torre Vieja

Though some people believe the remains atop this hill are simply a lookout tower, the size of the foundations make most agree that it is a Moorish castle.

It dates back to the 12th or 13th century and is one of the very few pieces of evidence of Moorish occupation in Fortuna. When Ibrahin Aboxac Ibenfuc (king of the Morrish of Arrexaca of Murcia) sold Fortuna to the noble Aparicio of Nompot in 1295 AD, this structure was actually mentioned in the deed.
Iglesia de la Purísma Concepción de Fortuna

Standing tall over Fortuna's central square, the Church of Immaculate Conception is easily Fortuna's most identifiable attraction. It was originally raised between 1728 and 1744, though it's witnessed various modifications over the years. In 1998 the fabulous baroque façade of the bell tower was rehabilitated to its former glory. The interior's altarpiece and the grand Custodia de las Espigas are both rather grand.

Town Hall


Although in comparison to Iglesia de la Purísma Concepción de Fortuna this building is quite modern, it is still worth a look. Its polychromatic stuccos and friezes are stunning - both the work of J. Medina in 1907. Especially unique is the building's vestibule, which is decorated with oil canvases or panneaux.

In the surrounding countryside (at times desert-like) is covered with the water that flows from its thermal springs. Visitors can admire the Cortao de las Peñas (two mountains split apart by the movement of the earth), or the Humedal del Ajauque and Rambla Salada, protected wetland areas of great beauty.