Restoration of the cloister of Santo Domingo almost complete in Lorca

The 17^th-century will again form part of the main tourist route through the historic city of Lorca

After a lengthy restoration project, the old cloister of the church of Santo Domingo in Lorca is almost ready to be presented to the public and added to the tourist route through the old centre of the historic city, with completion expected to be achieved before the end of October.

The religious complex of Santo Domingo was designed by Pedro Milanés in 1646 and is now home to the Paso Blanco brotherhood, one of the most important in the spectacular annual Semana Santa celebrations of Lorca. Unfortunately, the buildings suffered significant damage during the earthquakes of May 2011, and they had to be dismantled and stored piece by piece in order to prevent their possible collapse.

Now, however, the 560 elements have been painstakingly reassembled after undergoing restoration and preservation work by Teo Campoy Martínez, who also restored the façade and statuesque lions of the Congreso de los Diputados parliament building in Madrid and has also worked on the Roman Theatre in Cartagena and the “Castillejo” palace of Ibn Mardanis (The “Wolf King”) in Monteagudo, just outside the city of Murcia.

For the project to be completed the collaboration of those in neighbouring buildings has been essential.

The cloister, church and chapel of Santo Domingo date back originally to 1547, when a group of friars founded a new establishment of the Dominican Order, but the porticoed patio is the only part which remains.

The restoration project has cost a total of precisely 492,208.60 euros, according to Mayor Fulgencio Gil, of which the regional government of Murcia has contributed almost 377,000 and the Town Hall of Lorca the remaining 117,000. With this job completed, the rebuilding of monuments after the earthquakes 12 years ago is almost complete as the bullring and the Palacio de Guevara projects are also in the home straight.

The only remaining work is on the Casino Artístico Literario and the sanctuary of Santa María la Real de las Huertas.

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