La Unión, municipality of Spain
La Unión is a municipality in the Murcia region, Spain, covering about 24.6 square kilometers (9.5 square miles) with nearly 19,000 residents. The town centers on its mining heritage, featuring the Mina Agrupa Vicenta, an underground mine visitors can explore, along with historic structures such as the 18th-century Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and the former public market, an iron and glass building now used for events and exhibitions.
La Unión was founded in 1860 as Villa de El Garbanzal and renamed to its present name in 1868, when several settlements merged. The region's mineral wealth has been exploited since Roman times, but mining boomed in the 19th century, drawing thousands of immigrants and growing to about 35,000 residents by 1908. The industry declined after World War I and the Spanish Civil War, with operations finally ceasing in 1991 after over 2,000 years of continuous mineral extraction.
La Unión's identity remains tied to its mining roots, visible in how the community uses public spaces and celebrates its past through festivals. The town has preserved a distinctive flamenco singing tradition connected to the mining era, which continues to shape local culture and bring people together.
Visitors can explore the Mina Agrupa Vicenta with guided tours to see the underground galleries as miners once used them. The Museo Minero and Parque Minero provide insights into mining history with old tools and machinery, while the town comes alive during the Festival del Cante de las Minas in August and the Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario in October. The area offers views of the Sierra Minera and the nearby Mar Menor from higher points.
La Unión was once a center for flamenco singing, particularly known for the mining region style called Cante de las Minas, which survives to this day and shapes the annual festival. Another surprising aspect is the Semana Santa Minera, a holy week that blends religious processions with the daily routes miners took, revealing the deep bond between faith and mining heritage.
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