Lorca, Historic town in Murcia, Spain
Lorca is a town in the Region of Murcia in southeastern Spain, spread between mountains and wide fields. The old center groups around a large church and a castle on the hill above, while newer districts spread through the valleys.
Romans founded a settlement here called Eliocroca on an important road, which later grew under Moorish rule. In 1243 King Alfonso X took the place for Castile and made it a stronghold facing the southern frontier.
The name comes from the Arabic period, when this place was called Lurka and marked a frontier between two worlds. Today people walk through the market square beside the church each morning, buying fresh vegetables and sitting on benches under palm trees where centuries-old trade routes crossed.
The old town sits on a hill and many streets are steep or uneven, so comfortable shoes help. Morning or late afternoon works best, when the heat eases and more shops and cafés are open.
A Thursday market in the Huerto de la Rueda district has sold fruit and vegetables from the surrounding area since the 15th century. The same families often come here for generations, exchanging news and bargaining prices in a ritual older than many of the buildings around.
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