Date Published: 13/06/2025

New life for Lorca’s Church of San Juan as long-awaited restoration gets green light

Plans for urgent repair works and future renovation are now firmly in motion, with 2.6 million euros earmarked for the project

After a long period of uncertainty, the historic Church of San Juan in Lorca is finally set to undergo a full restoration thanks to a €2.6 million investment from Spain’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda (MIVAU). The long-abandoned baroque building, scarred by time and weather, is on track to be reborn as a socio-cultural space at the heart of the city’s old quarter.

Lorca’s mayor, Fulgencio Gil, welcomed the announcement with enthusiasm, calling it “a key step in our commitment to reviving Lorca’s heritage.” He also praised the Ministry’s swift response following recent rains that worsened the church’s structural problems. “We are grateful for the sensitivity shown and for the speed with which this process has moved forward,” he said, referencing appeals made by the council earlier this year.

The restoration work will tackle the building’s serious structural issues, focusing on stabilising the masonry and vaults, installing a new roof, and sealing off the interior to protect it from the elements. Once safe and secure, the interior will be adapted for cultural and community use, fulfilling a vision first proposed back in 2023.

The project has been a joint effort between the City Council and the Spanish Government. Lorca Council, which owns the building, has already paid over €18,000 to fund the execution plan and will also cover the technical management costs of around €44,700. The government, through MIVAU, will finance and oversee the actual construction work.

A formal agreement between all parties is expected to be signed in the coming days to kick-start the tendering process. The works are estimated to take 14 months to complete, with the building expected to reopen sometime in 2026.

Currently unused due to its deteriorated condition, the Church of San Juan still retains much of its baroque charm, including parts of its original mural decoration. As it sits within Lorca’s designated Historic Site and close to the protected Lorca Castle monument, it carries significant cultural importance, making the case for its urgent restoration all the more pressing.

To fast-track the process, the Secretary of State for Housing declared the project a matter of urgency on 5 June, which should help cut red tape and reduce waiting times across the board.

The initiative forms part of the national Architectural Heritage Rehabilitation Program, an effort to safeguard important historic buildings for public use. With €24 million earmarked in this year’s state budget, the Church of San Juan is one of several sites across Spain set to benefit from the scheme, which has been running since 1988.

Image: Ayuntamiento Lorca

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Oficina de Turismo de Lorca

Lorca Tourist Office

The rich and extensive history of Lorca has left a legacy of archaeological sites, and historic buildings, around which the modern City has built its tourism industry. Amongst these are Lorca Castle, the Jewish Quarter of the castle and Synagogue, Lorca Tourist Office Plaza de España, Colegiata de San Patricio, Museo de Arqueologico Municipal, Iglesia de San Francisco, Casa Huerto Ruano, Palacio de Guevara, Iglesia de San Mateo, Pósito de los Panaderos, Convento Virgen de las Huertas, Antiguo Convento de la Merced, Iglesia del Carmen and the Teatro Guerra.

Unfortunately Lorca has also been prone to natural disaster, suffering a Gota Fría on September 28th 2012, as well as an earthquake which measured 5.3 on the Richter scale on 11th May 2011 and claimed 9 lives. Since this earthquake the city has been rebuilding, winning recognition for its Lorca, Open for Restoration initiative, which used the restoration of the city as a tourist attraction whilst it rebuilt its historical buildings, some of which are currently still not open.

Lorca Tourist Office The tourist office itself has temporarily relocated until the renovations are completed and is on Calle San Patricio near the church.

Lorca also has an area of coastline incorporating the Parque Regional de Cabo Cope - Puntas de Calnegre, in the Sierra de Almenara, which includes the beaches of, Puntas de Calnegre, Baño de las Mujeres, San Lorca Tourist Office Pedro, El Siscal, Cala Honda, Cuartel del Ciscar, Junquera, Cala de la Gruta, Cala Leña, Los Hierros, Cala Blanca and Playa Larga, although many are accessible only through agricultural exploitations.

However, in spite of its many attractions, the name of Lorca is synonymous with Easter, (Semana Santa) its biblical parades of International Tourist Interest status and famous throughout Spain. The week includes a Lorca Tourist Office series of parades in which the whites (Paso Blanco) and blues (Paso Azúl) try to outdo each other with the magnificence of their embroideries and the skill and daring of their horsemen.