The Resurgence of the Phoenix

 Located at Sta. Catalina square, close to Flowers square. This building was constructed in the 1940s for the insurance company La Unión y el Fénix. It was designed by the architect F. Cánovas del Castillo. On a previous post from 2008, you can see on detail that sculpture on the top of the building.

It was built on the site where the Contraste* building stood until 1933 – a monumental 17th-century construction.

*The Silk Exchange Palace (Contraste palace) and armory was the most representative building in the city of Murcia during the 17th century, symbolizing the center of the city's economic, social, and political life. Its facades are currently housed in the Silk Exchange Pavilion of the Museum of Fine Arts of Murcia.

It was located in the Plaza de Santa Catalina, which at that time was the city's urban center. Activities related to the silk trade took place in this building: its price was set, and the various taxes levied on it were paid. In addition to these silk-related activities, it served as the headquarters for the inspection of gold and silver coin exchange, the city's armory, a jail, an archive, and also the meeting place of the City Council for several years. It was built between 1601 and 1609.