Cultural activities
Visit to the city of Lorca
A medieval bastion with two towers
The castle of Lorca (Murcia Region) stands imposingly, dominating a vast territory. Built on a hill inhabited since prehistoric times, the fortress has medieval origins, when Lorca was under Islamic rule in the 8th century. In 1244, with the capitulation of the city to Prince Alfonso, the castle became one of the most important bastions of the Kingdom of Castile, as it was a border area with the Kingdom of Granada. During the 13th century, King Alfonso X the Wise ordered the castle to be fortified and the two towers that we can see today were built: the main tower or keep, called the Alfonsina tower, and the one at the western end, called the Espolón tower. The entire fortress, including both towers, suffered significant damage following the 2011 earthquake, although they have now been restored and are open to the public.
A synagogue of exceptional value
The synagogue was built in the 15th century and its main characteristic is that, once abandoned, it had no other uses, so its ruins remain just as the Jews left them when they left the Iberian Peninsula in 1492. Although it was subjected to gradual looting over the centuries, it has exceptional archaeological value as it is one of the few in Spain that still has its distinctive elements intact. With dimensions of 20x10 metres, it is located near the remains of the old hermitage of San Clemente, also from the late Middle Ages. However, the synagogue was built in a hollow, as it was not permitted to be higher than Christian churches. Inside, apart from the herringbone brick floor, you can see different elements that highlight its religious use: the seats or benches, the hejal where there was a cupboard that kept the Torah or the tevá, which was a platform from where the reading of the sacred book was carried out.
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