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Lucena

Lucena - province of Cordoba

Lucena is a town in the province of Cordoba located 72 kilometres from the capital, in the region of Los Montes. It is said that Cervantes wrote el Quijote under the light of a Lucena oil lamp.

This town of more than 35,000 inhabitants, is second most important in the province after the capital. There are great artistic relics within the town. Esta ciudad, de más de 35.000 habitantes, es la segunda en importancia de la provincia tras la capital. En su interior nos aguardan grandes reliquias artísticas. It offers diverse attractions to the visitor, which range from its history and legacy to its imposing surroundings.

Las cruces de la Ermita de Araceli - (Paco Roldán)

The footprints of the past are patently visible in a multitude of vestiges which range from the Cueva del Ángel, at the foot of the Sierra de Aras, considered one of the most important Paleolithic sites in Europe, the Ibero-Roman town of Morana, in the south of the district and near to the River Anzur, on the hill of the same name, with the remains of the town walls and a set of galleries which lead to the circular chamber known as the "prison of Morana"; the Roman site of Los Tejares, with its ovens from an important pottery factory which was located here. Neverrtheless, until the Arab era there is no certainty that a town existed where today we find the actual one.

Lucena’s monuments constitute the principal base for the promotion of tourism in this town. Striking for both their quality and quantity are the Lucentine temples: the parish of San Mateo, in the town centre, of Gothic-Mudejar and Renaissance style; the Mudejar parish of Santiago; examples of Baroque style are numerous, this being the case with the church of Madre de Dios with images of great interest, the parish of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, which has a magnificent collection of paintings and sculptures, the parish of Santo Domingo (the old temple of the Mínimos or Victorios friars dedicated to San Francisco de Paula), the church of San Martín (the conventual temple of Agustinas Recoletas),

the church of San Juan Bautista, with its old hospital converted into a home for the elderly, and finally the numerous listed hermitages and chapels located both inside and outside the urban centre. Of the latter , one stands out greatly, this being the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Araceli from which there is an impressive panoramic view.

Moral Castle (Foto por legadoandalusi.com)

In addition to the great amount of religious architecture there is also the military architecture of Castillo del Moral, a construction of the 11th centurywhere it is possible that Boabdil el Chico was imprisoned and which became later the ducal palace of Medinaceli. This has been declared a National Historic Monument. A series of ancestral homes from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries complete the extensive show of the monuments of the city, amongst which there is the current Law Courts, the one time home of the Mora Saavedra. The latter and the parish church of Santiago are the two Estates of Cultural Interest of Lucentine legacy.

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Lucena’s environmental richness consists of areas such as the Humid Zones of the South of Cordoba, which, although not having any protected species, nevertheless enjoys important natural, cultural and recreational spaces like the Sierra de Aras (868 metres), crowned by the sanctuary of Araceli.

In the municipal district of Lucena there are varioous integrated reserves to be found within the protected spaces such as the small lakes of the Lagunas del Sur de Córdoba, some of which have high ecological content due to their being humid for most, if not all, of the year. It is also an area where you can enjoy the nature but the levels of conservation due to these lakes is perfectly acceptable. Standing out amongst these are the Lagunas Amarga, Dulce and Jarales, and also the Reservoirs of Cordobilla y Malpasillo.

Regarding infrastructure it must be said that in the Laguna Amarga there is a hiking trail signposted by the Department for the Environment of approximately one and a half kilometres which ends at a viewpoint where the fauna can be observed.
There are a series of hiking trails which will shortly be signposted. The majority are in the area of Lagunas del Sur de Córdoba, and the others in the Sierra de Aras.

There are also other activities such as paragliding, a relaxing flight. La ermita de Araceli, is the high spot of the mountain with the same name, close to Lucena, which is well frequented due to the comfortable and easy access to the take off point. There are many possibilities, it is a very thermic and hot area throughout the summer. If you ever travel to the north or the south of Cordoba and reach Lucena, it’s obvious – Take the opportunity!

The tradition of Lucena as an important focus of artesan manufacturing dates back many centuries. Its fame was cemented above all in the production in two branches which have been well preserved. Firstly, the manufacture of distinctive bronze objects, secondly, those of copper and brass, in the past of a utilitarian characteristic, but now used for decorative purposes. The most well known forms are braziers, cauldrons, water heaters and drink makers, amongst others.