ARCHIVED - Sunday 2nd February Lorca: learn about the historic fountains of Lorca in this guided tour
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Learn about the history of Lorca through the water fountains which were vital to the city’s development
The new tour of the historic city of Lorca inviting both local residents and visitors to learn about the history of the “Ciudad del Sol” through some of its most important drinking fountains is being repeated on the 2nd February 2020 and 31st May 2020.
The tour is entitled “Las antiguas fuentes de Lorca”, and reflects the fact that the efforts to guarantee the water supply are nothing new in the south-east of Spain. For this reason fountains such as the recently restored Fuente del Oro, one of the highlights of the tour, are not merely ornamental but in the past played a vital role in the daily lives of the Lorquinos.
So, while on the one hand the visit allows people to admire the structures of the fountains themselves, at the same time explanations are also given concerning where the water came from, where it was stored and how it was distributed in Lorca in past centuries.
The guided tour of Lorca’s historic fountains begins at 11.30 at the Convento de la Mercedes Visitors’ Centre, from where the group will walk first to the Fuente del Oro, which is believed to be the oldest water fountain in the city. From there the route crosses the River Guadalentín to the fountain in the Plaza de la Estrella, in the Barrio de San Cristóbal district.
From there the tour crosses the 19th century Puente de Piedra, which has withstood various flash floods since it was built, and heads into the city centre via the fountain in the Plaza del Ibreño, reaching the Plaza de España. Here there have been various fountains over the centuries, similar to the one which currently adorns the Alameda de la Constitución, and visitors will also stop off in the adjacent Plaza del Caño, where the fountain used to be one of the most commonly used in Lorca due to its central location.
The route then continues along Calle del Álamo to Calle Corredera and the home of the Comunidad de Regantes. This is the organization or association which represents those who require water for irrigation purposes, and an explanation will be given to underline the importance of the building and how irrigation was regulated in the fertile land around the Guadalentín. The group will also have a rare opportunity to enter the “Alporchón”, which is where water was originally distributed from: farmers used to throng here early in the morning in their efforts to secure their most important resource at the best price possible, and these auctions were an essential part of their lives and livelihoods, as portrayed in the novel “El cansado sol de septiembre” by local author José María Castillo-Navarro.
Mention will also be made of other fountains in various of Lorca’s squares, which despite being more recent are still of relevance to the history of the city and an understanding of how water has always been an essential part of its development.
The tour is conducted by official guides in SPANISH.leaves from the doorway of the Antiguo Convento de la Merced, Pta. de san Ginés at 11.30 and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Participants pay a 7 euro fee, although for those who hold an “Amigo de Lorca” card there is a two-euro discount and under-12s may accompany adults free of charge.
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