JUMILLA

city, Murcia provincia and comunidad autnoma (autonomous community), southeastern Spain. It lies at the foot of Mt. Castillo (near Mt. Carche and Sierra de Santa Ana) and on the Arroyo del Ja, a tributary of the Ro Segura, northwest of Murcia city. The Roman author Pliny the Younger mentioned the settlement as Juncellus (after a local reed) in his chronicles. By the Middle Ages the name had become Jumilla or Jumyella. The Arabs called the city Gmina Aamlet or Geminalet (Country of the Sons of Amlet) until it was taken by Pedro I of Castile in the 14th century and repopulated. In the centre of the city stands the church of Santiago, with its 16th-century Plateresque altarpiece by the Ayala brothers and a Gothic nave. Known for its red wines, Jumilla also produces olive oil, canned meats, liquors, mosaics, and building materials. Pop. (1981) 20,492.