ARCHIVED - Sunday 15th March Guided tour of the Virgen de las Huertas convent in Lorca

The church contains spectacular murals and the remains of a 10^th-century Moorish palace

Please note: commentary on this tour is in Spanish.

One of the most interesting, yet lesser known of the monuments in the city of Lorca is the convent church of the Virgen de las Huertas just outside the main city centre.

The convent and Sanctuary of the Virgen de las Huertas are devoted to one of the patrons of the city, a legendary apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1244, when Prince Alfonso of Castilla, later Alfonso X “El Sabio”, was camped in this area outside Lorca as he prepared to conquer the city from the Moors. The story runs that he benefited from a thick fog which kept the movements of his troops hidden from the enemy and that in his tent was an image of Mary, and in gratitude for her supposed intervention he decided to build a shrine so that she could stay in this location.

The original church, which was built by the Franciscans in 1467, was destroyed by flooding in 1653, although local tradition has it that the remains were used as the basis of the new construction and its tower. In reality, though, it seems that building had to start from scratch again, and this was a long process, lasting until the 19th century.

Further importance was added to the site in the year 2000, when archaeologists gained permission to excavate inside the convent and church and discovered the remains of a 10th-century Moorish palace. When repairs were made necessary by the earthquakes which hit Lorca on 11th May 2011 further elements of the palace were uncovered, and these Moorish remains, as well as the Christian church above them with its fabulous collection of mural paintings, can now be visited under the terms of an agreement between the Franciscan Order and the Town Hall.

The one-hour group visits are held on the first Saturday of every month at 12.30, although additional sessions can be added if there is sufficient demand and the maximum group size is exceeded.

There is also a visit on the third Sunday of every month, starting at 12.30.

The cost of joining the tour is 4€ per head (free for under-12s or 1 euro for friends of Lorca Taller del Tiempo), and prior reservation is essential at www.lorcatallerdeltiempo.com or call 968 47 90 03 for more information.(Click here for link, NB Click Comprar entrada individual to purchase ticket and make a reservation.) or via the tourist office.