ABOUT
Ceuti forms part of the area known as the Middle Plain of the River Segura and and is bordered by the boroughs of Archena, Lorqui, Alguazas and Villanueva del Segura. Its town centre is some 18 kilometres from Murcia capital.At present Ceuti is one of the most dynamic towns in the region of Murcia at all levels. Among the factors that have contributed to this situation, the most outstanding is its economic diversity which has proved to be the power house which propels its development, thanks to the two industrial estates which belong to this town and this town alone, with the result that the active population are distributed between an important agricultural economy, some one hundred diverse industries and the service sector.
HISTORY
It is not known exactly when this town was first populated, although some references exist suggesting that there was first an Iberian settlement and then later a Roman one. The Moslems also had a decisive influence on the area, which was then known as "Alqueria del Zepti". The written history of Ceuti begins when the Islamic Kingdom of Murcia is conquered by Castilia. During many centuries Ceuti was continually passed on to different owners (the crown of Castilia, Aragon, military orders). For several centuries there was hardly any growth in population, until, in the 19th century an important demographic change took place and leading up to 1960 Ceuti experienced a significant growth brought on by the development of the fruit and vegetable canning industry.HERITAGE
Of further and greatly important interest is what Ceuti has put into its cultural activities: the programmes which its auditorium puts on are excellent, its exhibition hall welcomes the region's painters and sculptors from September to June, the success of its cantautor (Spanish traditional singer-songwriter) contest "Cantigas de Mayo" grows from one year to the next, and, in the last few years, a sculpture and mural exhibition has been created in the open air. However in this area what really stands out is "Ceuti Imagina" a place dedicated to arts and sciences aimed at all ages but primarily at families with young children, due to the large number of activities and exhibitions which have been adapted especially for them. The complex is made up of several areas: the earth observatory is the part dedicated to the sciences, and here you can learn about alternative energy, recycling, new technologies, and there is also a workshop with scientific games and experiments. The arts are present in the hall of temporary exhibitions which displays some of the most successful from all over the world. In addition to the activities organised by Ceuti Imagina, there is a tourist train which visits the Ethnological Museum, the Open-Air Museum, and the Antonio Campillo Museum which displays sculptures and drawings which have been donated by this Murcian artist.Other places of interest are the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, with its beautiful carvings among which the most outstanding are that of the Saint herself, that of Saint Roque and, above all others, that of the recumbent Christ, which were produced by a sculptor from Francisco Salzillo's school, and also the hermitage of St. Roque and the hermitage of St. Joseph the Worker and St. Mary Magdalene.
Also worth visiting is the Arabic Wall, only discovered at the beginning of the year 2002, which is an Islamic wall made of adobe (sun-dried brick), which formed part of the entrance to the farmstead a thousand years ago. In 2003 this wall was made into a historical site so that it could be visited both by locals and tourists.
