The BBC chefs “The Hairy Bikers” were in Lorca a few weeks ago to film for their new series on Mediterranean cuisine which will air in February 2018.
Lorca Castle is about 40 minutes from Finca Arboleda just over the border in Murcia. It was built between the 9th and 15th centuries. It consists of a series of defensive structures that, during the Middle Ages, made the town and the fortress an impregnable point in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Lorca Castle was a key strategic point of contention between Christians and Muslims during the Reconquista. It is listed as a Site of Cultural Interest.
Archaeological excavations have revealed that the site of the castle has been inhabited since Neolithic times. There were archaeological excavations conducted between 1999 and 2011, in conjunction with other excavations conducted in the centre of the town of Lorca. The excavations revealed the existence of an Argaric town that extended from the castle to the actual site of the current town. The excavations revealed funerary sites, homes, and a wall.
During Muslim rule, Lorca Castle was an impregnable fortress and its interior was divided into two sections by the Espaldón Wall. In the western part, there was an area used to protect livestock and grain in times of danger. The eastern part had a neighbourhood called the barrio de Alcalá.
Lorca was conquered by the Castilian Infante Don Alfonso, the future Alfonso X, in 1244, and the fortress became a key defensive point against the Kingdom of Granada. For 250 years, Lorca Castle was a watchpoint on the border between the Christian kingdom of Murcia and the Muslim state of Granada.
The Castle is well worth a visit and entry costs from only €4 They have lots of events there and the night visits look lovely. Their web site in English has loads of information Castle website
Next Saturday 1st July there will be an open air Chess Tournament at 18.30 in the open air of the Plaza Mayor in Vera
Starting yesterday Vera will be holding holding traditional pottery workshops.
The Summer Solstice in Spain is celebrated on the beach, where else? At midnight on 23rd June, family and friends, young and old all head for their local beach with some wood for a bonfire, food and drink, a blanket to sit on and a pen and paper to write down their 3 wishes.
“Mundos de Papel”, a disturbingly funny, tender and daring story, combines humour and spontaneous circus techniques, theater and dance, where the spectators are witnesses to a continuous coming and going, where nothing is what it looks and everything looks as it is.