Description:
In May 2011, Lorca experienced an earthquake which caused serious damage across the city. Among the buildings damaged were six churches located in the historic centre of the city. These buildings are examples of various architectural styles, Renaissance, Murcian Baroque and Neoclassical. Fissures were apparent in the roofs and walls of several of the churches while some roofs had collapsed altogether. Though the citizens of Lorca were naturally discouraged following the disaster and the harm caused to so many of their churches, as well as the destruction of many other iconic buildings, they soon assembled their resources and worked to restore their city to its former state. The renovation works took just four years to complete. For a project of this size, this is an incredible accomplishment. It pays testament to the determination of the community to reclaim their city from the effects of the tragedy. From the beginning, the community was focused on opening the old centre as soon as possible so that its owners and visitors could regain access and so that the churches could return to their use as places of worship. This extended to the organisation of guided tours of the renovation works, which helped to raise awareness about the works and involve the community further in the rehabilitation of the area.