Located in the heart of the old town, the Traperia and Plateria streets are the main historic commercial arteries of the city. A visit to Murcia wouldn’t be complete without going for a stroll along these streets, doing some shopping while taking in their charm and character.
The Calle Traperia is indeed a street with a long history. Right after the Spanish reconquest of 1266, the king decided to build a wall to divide the city in two: from the mosque (today, the cathedral) to the minor alcazar (today, the Monasterio de Santa Clara). The west side was for the Moors, the east for the Christians.
However, the wall only worsened the coexistence of both groups and was quickly demolished. This created a long straight street, the Calle Traperia, which is very different from the rest of the traditional Islamic urban layout.
Its name, which can be translated as “Rags Street,” is due to the cloth trade established in its vicinity during the 14th century. To this day, the street is full of clothing shops.
There is also some impressive architecture located on this street, mostly erected by the bourgeoisie during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Real Casino de Murcia is a great example of this kind of high-class styling.
The Calle Plateria, on the other hand, is of Moorish origin. It was one of the main west-east arteries of the Islamic medina. As with many other streets in the old town, it takes its name (“Silversmithing street”) from the guild that was active there during medieval times. Still to this day, there is a large variety of jewelries on it, among other shops.