Around and About - Lorca
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Lorca is our nearest sizeable town. It is famed for its Semanta Santa (Easter Parade) celebrations which out-do both Murcia and Cartagena. It’s really a celebration of the truimph of Christianity, with characters such as Cleopatra, Julius Ceasar and royalty from Persia. Most of the historical buildings including churches and ancestral homes in Lorca date from the sixteenth century onwards. Plaza de Espana was designed in the 16th century as the town centre. However there is still a significant remnant of the town’s Roman period, the Columna Milenaria dating from about 10BC: it marked the distance between Lorca and Cartagena on the Via Heraclea, the Roman road between the Pyrenees to Cadiz. Nowadays it’s crowned by a statue of St. Vincent Ferrer. Above the town Lorca Castle is a fortress of Moorish origin which dominates the skyline. The two towers that are still conserved today, the Alfonsina and that of El Espolon are Christian constructions built between the 13th and 15th centuries. Unfortunately the Castillo of Lorca has been turned into an expensive, medieval-themed tourist attraction! But the Theatre (see photo) is a real gem!
Lorca has many squares and patios, most are decorated with pots and exotic plants, water features and statues. Almost every building has a plaque or decoration of some kind, reminding you of the romans, moors and other civilisations that have lived here. The Guevara Palace is one of the most significant civil Barogue buildings in Lorca and was built between 1689-1706. The palace is open to the public. Lorca is a friendly and hospitable town, with good shopping and a wealth of fiestas.
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