History of Balsicas, Murcia
An Early Start... the Neanderthals
Excavations over the last decade have uncovered evidence that dates human existence in the Balsicas area back some 500,000 years. The Sima de las Palomas site along the ridge of El Cabezo Gordo, has also unearthed discoveries from numerous other periods in human history, like a old earthen hearth that is some 40,000 years old.
Despite the smorgasbord of ancient artefacts, there's little documentation of the town Balsicas itself until the crude census of 1771. What does exist hints at the Romans using sections of El Cabezo Gordo as an ancient quarry and that the name Balsicas is derived from rafts that were built here in the 16th century. A second, more detailed survey was done later in the 18th century by Floridablanca, which revealed a population of only 76 comprised (59 members of farming families, 13 labourers and four poor).
In 1820, when nearby Sucina was granted a City Hall, Balsicas fell under its rule. However this was short lived and in 1823, when the absolute monarchy of Spain was reintroduced, Balsicas was handed back to Murcia. Incredibly, the tiny town was divided in two in 1836, with half of it being rule by the City of Murcia and the other half being controlled by the City of Pacheco. The people of Balsicas were justifiably outraged.
Thankfully things sorted themselves out... today Balsicas is an important district within the single municipality of Torre-Pacheco.
