Lorca undertakes urgent repairs on the historic Porche de San Antonio city gate

The gate dates from the Moorish rule of Lorca but was affected by torrential rain in 2025

The Town Hall of Lorca has announced an 18,000-euros emergency action to protect the Porche de San Antonio, the only remaining medieval entrance gate of its kind left in the whole of the Region of Murcia and is just one of the gates which used to provide entrance through the city wall of Lorca, and parts of the wall between Calle Gigante and Calle Zapatería.

which were badly affected by the torrential rain of late February and early March 2025.

A technical inspection has revealed various weaknesses in the stonework and problems of dampness caused by the unusually wet meteorological conditions in the Region of Murcia, and the first step is to tackle the damp before stabilizing the whole structure in an effort to safeguard it for future generations.

The work is budgeted to take two months and is identified as top priority by Mayor Fulgencio Gil, who maintains that “it is impossible to understand Lorca without its history”.

The Porche de San Antonio

The tower of this gate was originally built by the Moors during their five century long occupation of Lorca, but in the 13th and early 14th centuries it was replaced by the conquering Christian troops with a more significant structure, as the fortifications were strengthened to protect the castle from the frequent incursions following the Reconquista of this area and the creation of a frontier between the new Christian kingdoms and the last remaining stronghold of the Moors in Granada. (See History of Lorca part 2 for further information about this period.)

The door itself was made out of wood, reinforced with iron bars, but this no longer remains and visitors can instead see only the restored tower, climbing up its winding staircase from Calle Gigante to Calle Zapatería. The tower measures 8.2 metres in height from the lower level, and 5.3 metres on the upper side, although it is known that the original Moorish structure was rather smaller. It is surprising to find that decoration was added – after all, this was meant to be a functional defensive structure – but there are crenelations at the top and a great deal of effort was put into making the archways as impressive as possible.

Inside the tower is a mural showing San Ginés de la Jara, to whom the tower was originally dedicated by the Christians, depicted in a mountain setting where a small chapel sits on top of a hill behind him. More decoration used to exist on the upper level of the tower, which is accessed by a wooden staircase, and consisted of a gargoyle with a dragon’s head.

For more visiting information, local events and news contact the tourist office at the Palacio de Guevara (telephone 968 441914) or go to the home page of Lorca Today.