San Patricio y las Tres Plazas
Tours in English are available at 10:00 and in Spanish at 11:30 between Monday and Friday (except bank holidays) with accompanied children under the age of 12 free. Cost 5 euros. Booking is via the tourist office or the feed below. It is advisable to call and book or use the booking form as should there be no interest on a specific day, the guide may be allocated to cover a group tour and not be available for those who just turn up at the tourist office without booking!.
Specific dates on which tours are only available in Spanish during 2020: 19th March, 1st May, 1st November, 6th,7th and 8th December 2020.
The “San Patricio y las Tres Plazas” tour includes not only the church but also the Plaza de España and the other historic buildings, including the Town Hall, which stand alongside it, the Plaza del Caño (featuring the Pósito and the Casa del Corregidor) and the Plaza de las Barandillas, with its views of the façade of the Real Colegio de la Purísima Concepción.
The “San Patricio y las Tres Plazas” tour is held every day from Monday to Friday at 11.30 in Spanish as well, starting at the tourist office in Plaza de España and the cost of joining the group is 5€ per person. Prior reservations must be made via the tourist office.Click for online reservation; Visita guiada San Patricio y Las Tres Plazas or call the tourist office directly.
The Excolegiata de san Patricio
Of all the historic and monumental buildings in Lorca perhaps the most important is the Excolegiata (or Antigua Colegiata) de San Patricio, which was originally built to commemorate a victory in battle over the Moors in the 15th century.
Situated along the northern side of the Plaza de España in the centre of Lorca, it forms part of a series of buildings which have been awarded Item of Cultural Interest status, including the Town Hall, the Casa del Corregidor and various palatial residences dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Towering over all of them, though, is the place of worship whose construction was decided upon to commemorate the victory which was achieved by Alonso Fajardo “El Bravo” against Moorish raiders from Granada in the Battle of Los Alporchones in 1452.
That it was economic prosperity which lay behind the decision to build the church of San Patricio is illustrated by the fact that it was not until 1533, over 80 years after the Battle of Los Alporchones, that a Papal Bull was issued by Clement VII authorizing its construction on the site of a previous church dedicated to San Jorge (Saint George): thus the city of Lorca shifted its allegiance from the patron saint of England to the patron saint of Ireland!
San Patricio is centrally located in Lorca and is an ideal starting point for a visit to other important buildings in the city. It is also right next door to the tourist office which can provide a map showing other locations of interest.
There are various ways to visit San Patricio, either independently or by joining the English language tours offered from Monday to Friday.
Independently: Open every day except Sunday for non-guided visits
The first of these is an individual visit without tour guide, an option which is open every day of the week except Sunday between 11.00 and 13.00 and then again between 18:00 to 19:00 in the evening. Entry price is just 2€ per head (free for under-12s), with tickets available from the tourist office in the Plaza de España, the La Merced visitors centre and Lorca castle.
The tourist office sells a well-priced wristband for 8 euros which includes entry to the two principal embroidery museums and the castle and is valid for 2 days. Don´t forget to ask the tourist office about the discounted parking offer for those using the carparks as well; local traders will give discounted vouchers for the parking to those making purchases in their shops, leaving a little more money for an ice cream or a coffee!
BOOK USING THE ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM BELOW.
SELECT THE ROUTE NAME AND CLICK ON THE "31" SYMBOL, WHICH REVEALS THE DATES AVAILABLE. CLICK ON THE DATE REQUIRED TO BOOK.
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