Village situated in the lower basin of the Almanzora, among fertile fields of citrus and fruit trees irrigated by the river. Its particular topography gives it a special uneven profile but it  looks clean and well-looked after. The Parish church stands out over the group of buildings.

• Distance from the Capital (km): 95

• Altitude above Sea Level (m): 283

• Area (km2): 72

• No of Inhabitants: 2,081

History

The village is divided by the river Almanzora. On the left bank is Alfoquia or the Station district and on the right on a hill, the old part of the village.

There is little information about the history of this village due to the fact that the Survey and Population Book has been lost. A few mediaeval place-names are known thanks to the Census, such as: Cañada de Dacebucar, pagos de Calafa, Hamarche, Thamarchete and Alfoquia, el caserio de Almajalejo, Cucador and Palaces. Today many of these are hamlets spread through the municipal area: Almajalejo, Cañales, Carasoles, Cucador, Llanos, Los Mencaones, Palaces and Alfoquía which has become the most important and most modern nucleus of population in the area. There are also the farmhouses of Fuente del Pino and Lomas del Ganado.

The populational nucleus of Zurgena could have its origin in the Iberian, with influence of all and each one of the towns that they arrived later on: Phoenicians, Greek, Carthaginian, Roman and Arab.
Along the history one could know for Surgana, Xusena, Xuxena, Surgena, Sugena,
It was reconquered by the Reyes Catholics in 1412, Muslim again in 1.445 and it christens, definitively, June 10 1.488 (Tuesday). Repopulated for murcianos, Castilian, Valencian and Aragonese. It had an administration dependent realenga of Vera's Corregimiento and with a population of 150 neighbors (some 750 people). The Moorish ones were expelled by gift's armies Juan from Austria in 1.570. starting from the XVII century it passed to depend on the Vélez's Marquisate, inside the party of Caves of the Marquis (Caves of Almanzora)

On August of 1.525, 24 were constituted Zurgena in parish, under San Unborn Ramón's invocation, when separating Huércal Overa.
The temple, of style neomudéjar, ended in the year 1.560. to highlight its coffered wooden. In the main door there is a shield that corresponds the bishop of the time, gift Antonio Carrionero.
Their first parish priest was gift Sebastian of Cueto that had a lot to see in the financing for the construction of the temple.
In 1.884 you concluded an amplification, the dome, for what was necessary the I demolish of some housings.

In this right picture, given by the author of the restoration of the hermitage of the Calvary, gift Antonio Jiménez, the Altar is shown bigger than the Church of Zurgena in the state in that it was before its dismantlement in 1.936.
To the right of the picture the Pulpit is appreciated. It was a high place and caught to the wall of the Church, in a cylindrical and metallic way. It was good the priest of suitable place to go to the faithful ones in the most outstanding moments in the liturgical celebrations.
In the biggest Altar the sacertdote was placed turned to the faithful ones. The masses were said in Latin to ecepción, logically, of the homily.
The banks were property of diverse families of the municipality, usually the richest, having recorded in the wood the initials of the name.

 

In the decade of 1.960, the parish priest, gift José Sirvent Marín, promoted and it got a new altarpiece on the Altar bigger than the Church.
In the same way, two Fraternities were constituted, that of the Dolores's Virgin and that of the Father Jesus Nazareno that with a healthy but competitive rivalry, they got some parades procesionales that you/they got the attention of the public of the district.
It became famous and only "the game of the flags", each Fraternity waves and he/she offers, in the morning of Sacred Friday, its banner before the image of the other one. Today it is still conserved.
They were also own those "you bid", in the same door of the Church, to be able to take to shoulders the thrones.
The emigration to that it was subjected our town left the Week Santa of Zurgena in its minimum expression.

The clock, It was built in 1.882, in XII Alfonso's reign. During the Guerra the 36, it was a position of surveillance of the Civil Watch.
It is located on a mound from which offers a panoramic irrepetible and advisable to own and visitors. It has good accesses, so much stops vehicles as pedestrian stairways. It is one enjoyed.
Any zurgenero is proud of its clock. When a mishap or the negligence remains silent it, it seems that it lacks something in the daily life.
It has suffered many transformations, in some unfortunate cases.
He/she is the guide of any person that toiled in their agricultural works by the diverse payments, he/she has to return home.

Cuisine

Embutidos (Cured meats). Potaje de calabazas (Pumpkin stew). Potaje de trigo (Wheat stew). Potaje de tortas de bacalao (Stew with cod cakes). Caldo de pescado con aletría (Fish and noodle soup). Gurullos de conejo (Rabbit with bread fried in lard with ingredients such as garlic, spicy sausage and bacon among others). Pelotas de maíz (Corn balls). Perdiz en guiso (Partridge). Jormigones. Choto al ajillo (Kid in garlic).

Sweets: Almond cakes. Filled pies. Cuajao de almendras (Almond and minced meat cake).

Festivals

• Festival of the Virgen del Carmen, July.

• Festival of San Ramón Nonato, August.

• Autumn fair, October.