Lorca, Spain
Municipality in Region of Murcia, Spain / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lorca (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈloɾka]) is a municipality and city in the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia in south-eastern Spain, 58 kilometres (36 mi) southwest of the city of Murcia. The municipality had a population of 95,515 in 2020, up from the 2001 census total of 77,477. Lorca is the municipality with the second largest surface area in Spain, 1,675.21 km2 (646.80 sq mi),[2] after Cáceres. The city is home to Lorca Castle and the Collegiate church dedicated to St. Patrick.
Lorca | |
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Motto(s): Lorca solum gratum, castrum super astra locatum, ensis minans pravis, regni tutissima clavis | |
Coordinates: 37.6798°N 1.6944°W / 37.6798; -1.6944 | |
Country | Spain |
Autonomous community | Region of Murcia |
Province | Murcia |
Comarca | Alto Guadalentín |
Judicial district | Lorca |
Government | |
• Mayor | Diego José Mateos Molina (2019) (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) |
Area | |
• Total | 1,676 km2 (647 sq mi) |
Elevation | 353 m (1,158 ft) |
Population (2018)[1] | |
• Total | 93,079 |
• Density | 56/km2 (140/sq mi) |
Demonym(s) | Lorquino, lorquina |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 30800 |
Website | Official website |
In the Middle Ages Lorca was the frontier city between Christian and Muslim Spain.[3] Even earlier during the Roman period it was ancient Ilura or Heliocroca of the Romans.[4]
The city was seriously damaged by a magnitude 5.1 earthquake on 11 May 2011, killing at least nine people. Due to a shallow hypocenter, the earthquake was much more destructive than usual for earthquakes with similar magnitude.