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Muro

The municipality of Muro is located in the north east of Mallorca (Majorca) on the Bay of Alcúdia, with the beach of Platja de Muro occupying 5.5 km of coast and the wetland natural park of Albufera Gran de Mallorca lying behind the coastline. Muro´s fertile agricultural land, with an abundant supply of water, supplies the markets of Mallorca with high quality vegetables.

The small hill on which the village of Muro is located has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with the village serving as a watchtower as far back as Roman times, which is where the name of Muro, meaning wall, originates. The centre of the village is the square of Plaça Major; this is where the most emblematic buildings are located and where the streets leading to the old quarter start. The square includes simple, traditional houses as well as ancestral homes, and the façades of these are characterised by Marès stone, which is extracted from local quarries.

The Parish Church of Sant Joan Baptista is the most symbolic building. It is a 17th century church with elements from Gothic architecture, despite belonging to the Baroque period in chronological terms (this situation is common on Mallorca). It has a long layout, with chapels between the buttresses, a cross-vault roof and a polygonal apse. Of note inside are the Baroque altarpieces and the brightness, which is a result of the large stained-glass windows and the white stone. At the square of Plaça del Convent we find the Convent of Santa Anna, with an 18th century church and cloister.

The Ethnology Museum on the street of Carrer Major contains a large display of traditional country tools, many from trades which no longer exist, as well as a collection of traditional jugs and ceramics and an old pharmacy. It operates as part of the Museum of Mallorca in Palma. The building is a fine example of a house belonging to well-to-do farmers and the museum provides a good opportunity to see the inside of an old house.

The Hermitage of Sant Vicenç Ferrer, on the outskirts of the village as you take the road to Inca, is a simple oratory where the residents of Muro gather on Easter Monday to celebrate pancaritat (an old celebration at which bread was distributed to the poor). The main event is the mass in honour of the saint, though there are games, music and traditional dances throughout the day.

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