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Places in Spain -
Lorca
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Lorca sits in the south-west
of the region of
Murcia
and is a town of a variety of contrasts. The town blends its historical heritage
with modern life. Lorca is also an important commercial centre and to this end
has a well designed network of roads, rail and communications. Lorca is probably
the most important tourist centre in the region. It has mountains to a height of
1.500m in the north-west and an 8km coastline in the coastal area. The
surrounding area is covered with vineyards.
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May 2011
Idealspain would like to express our deepest sympathies with the residents of the beautiful town of Lorca who recently experienced a horrific earthquake, right in the heart of the town. The loss of lives is particularly sad but equally, the damage and loss of the beautiful buildings in Lorca, a town we love. The strength of the Spanish people will win over in this sad time and no doubt, the town will recover. |
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Lorca has
a wealth
of
historical
buildings
including
churches,
Roman
villas,
palaces,
monuments
and works
of art.
However,
the city
is
dominated
by the
hilltop
castle.
Lorca is a
friendly
and
hospitable
town that
offers
recreation,
shopping
and a
unique
gastronomy.
Lorca also
has a
wealth of
fiestas to
be enjoyed
by the
visitor
and local
alike.
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Approaching
Lorca
is
easy
by
means
of the
Mediterranean
highway
that
connects
Valencia
with
Andalucia.
Lorca
has
its
own
bus
network
with a
coach
station
and a
rail
network
that
connects
with
all
the
major
cities.
Lorca
is
120km
from
Alicante
airport,
100km
from
San
Javier
airport
and
150km
from
Almeria
airport.
Plaza
Mayor
This
square
got
its
name
in the
18th
century
and
was
designed
as the
centre
of
power
with
the
buildings
of the
Town
Council,
Collegiate
and
the
Mayor
placed
around
it, as
well
as the
two
granaries,
the
prison
and
the
market.
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The
Ex-Collegiate
Church
of San
Patricio
(above)
This
church,
declared
a
conservation
area
in
1941,
was
built
upon
the
old
church
of San
Jorge
between
1536
and
1780.
The
name
of the
church
is due
to a
victory
by the
people
of
Lorca
over
the
Moors
of
Granada
in
1452.
Despite
its
long
construction
period,
the
church
has a
Renaissance
style.
The
interior
if the
church
is
made
up of
three
naves,
lateral
chapels,
a
choir
and a
retrochoir,
a
transept,
an
ambulatory
with
radial
chapels
and a
tower
at the
head
which
gives
shelter
to the
sacristy
in its
inner
part. |
The
Town
Hall
This
building
despite
its
harmonious
appearance
was
not
constructed
all at
once.
The
first
part,
constructed
in
1678
was
the
former
prison
and a
half a
century
later,
in
1739
the
building
was
enlarged
becoming
an
outbuilding
of the
Town
Council.
The
building
is
crowned
with
two
statues
that
symbolise
charity
and
justice.
The
interior
of the
building
which
was
remodelled
in
1992
offers
a wide
variety
of
contemporary
paintings,
mainly
by
local
painters
and
the
ancient
chapel
of the
Town
Council
which
contains
six
enormous
canvas
works
depicting
the
battles
that
local
people
have
fought
in. |
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The
Granary
This
16th
century
barn
of the
town
consists
of two
floors.
The
lower
floor
was
used
as a
slaughterhouse
and
the
upper
floor
which
is
completely
transparent
to
make
the
most
of the
space
was
used
to
store
wheat.
Although
the
frontage
was
restored
in
1761
it
preserves
three
shields
from
1553,
the
obverse
and
reverse
of the
town
council
stamp
and
the
shield
of
Carlos
I.
Today
the
building
is
occupied
by the
Historical
Archives
of the
town,
one of
the
best
in
Murcia.
The
former
Mayor's
House
Today
this
holds
the
court
offices.
There
are
only
four
arches
left
of the
old
house,
two of
which
make
up the
edge
with
two
worked
images
from
1750
are
placed.
Inscriptions
on
here
tell
of the
origins
of the
Romans
of
Lorca. |
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Among
Lorca's
important
churches
are
The
Church
of San
Francisco
Built
in
1561,
very
little
of the
original
building
remains,
having
been
rebuilt
in the
17th
century.
The
interior
is
interesting
because
of its
fine
collection
of
Baroque
altarpieces,
located
in the
gallery.
The
Convent
of the
Virgen
de las
Huertas
dedicated
to the
patron
saint
of the
town
dates
from
the
15th
century,
although
the
original
building
was
destroyed
by
floods
and a
new
building
constructed
before
the
18th
century.
At
this
time
it was
the
most
important
religious
centre
in the
town.
On
almost
every
street
corner
you
will
find
works
of
original
historic
architecture.
Almost
every
building
has a
decoration
of
some
kind,
reminding
you of
the
civilisations
that
have
lived
here.
Lorca
is
also
proud
of its
squares
and
patios,
all
neatly
decorated
with
pots
and
exotic
plants,
statues
and
water
features. |
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As you
wander
the
streets
of
Lorca,
look
out
for
the
Porch
of San
Antonio,
one of
the
main
doorways
that
gave
access
to the
town
and
the
only
one
that
has
been
preserved.
It is
of
Arabian
origin
and
was
reconstructed
in the
13th
century.
The
Mile
Column
is
situated
on the
corner
of the
Ponce
de
Leon
House
in
Corredera
Street.
It is
a
Roman
mile
dating
from
the
reign
of
Emperor
Augustus.
It
serves
as a
pedestal
for
the
sculpture
of San
Vincente.
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The
Guevara
Palace is one
of the
most
significant
civil
Baroque
buildings
in the
town
and
was
built
between
1689
and
1705.
It is
owned
by the
Guervara
family.
The
interior
of the
palace
retains
the
feel
of the
18th
century,
especially
in the
dance
hall
with
its
Venetian
chairs
and
carved
framed
mirror.
The
palace
is
open
to the
public
and one of
the
main
features
worth
seeing
is the Sala
Chemist,
located
in one
of the
outbuildings.
The
display
is a
complete
chemist
shop,
intact
as it
was in
1896,
complete
with
carved
oak
furniture
and
fittings
and
shelves
lined
with
original
medicines
and
ointments,
many
made
by the
local
chemist
before
the
days
of the
large
laboratories. |
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Much
of
Lorca's
history
has
been
preserved
in the
many
museums,
all of
which
are
open
to the
public.
Look
for
the Archaeological
Museum on
Calle
Juan
Moreno.
The
museum
features
everything
that
is or
has
been
important
to
Lorca
since
prehistoric
times
including
a good
collection
of
coins
and
medals.
The Regional
Craft
Centre near
the
Guevara
Palace
has a
permanent
exhibition
of
local
craftwork
in
glass,
wood,
clay,
reed
and
pottery.
Near the Church of San Francisco is the Embroidery Museum where you will see fantastic displays of local work as well as a pictoral history of the building that houses the museum.
Lorca
also
has a
wealth
of
galleries,
libraries
and
theatres
including
the
important Teatro
Guerra located
in
Plaza
de
Calderon,
Tel
968 46
02 12.
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When
it
comes
to
fiestas
and
traditions,
Lorca
has
its
fair
share
and
some
of the
important
dates
in the
celebration
calendar
include
23rd
November
when
San
Clemente
is
honoured.
On the
8th
September
the
Virgen
de Las
Huertas,
patron
saint
of
Lorca
is
honoured
in a
tradition
that
began
in
1244.
The
Grand
Feria
of
Lorca
takes
place
in
September
and
lasts
10
days.
Lorca
also
celebrates
Semana
Santa
(Easter)
in
grand
style.
Our
visit
to
Lorca
was
part
of out
tour
of
Murcia
and
was
one of
the
highlights.
We
found
the
tourist
office
very
helpful,
providing
maps
pointing
out
all
the
important
sights,
most
of
which
we
managed
to
find.
Lorca
has to
be
explored
by
foot
to get
the
most
from
your
visit.
The
surrounding
area
is a
garden
of
almond
trees
and a
large
quarrying
area
for
marble.
The
open
countryside
is
quiet
and
very
picturesque.
There
are
many
small
places
on the
way to
visit,
such
as
Totana,
Aledo
and La
Santa
where
you
will
find a
religious
monument,
high
on the
hill
(right).
Follow
the
narrow
winding
road
to the
top to
get a
panoramic
view
of the
surrounding
area.
Take
note
of the
unique
statues
hidden
in the
bushes
on the
way
up. |
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