The Casa de los Marín Ponce de León in Lorca
A historic and prestigious family residence in Lorca featuring a Roman milestone at one corner
The Casa de los Marín Ponce de León is one of the many palatial residences which were built by wealthy aristocratic families in past centuries in Lorca, and was originally constructed in the 17th century on the busy Calle Corredera, at the corner with the Glorieta de San Vicente, and belonged to one of the most important aristocratic families in the city (after whom it is named). The exterior is simple in terms of decoration but includes many of the features associated with Renaissance architecture, and of course the most essential adornments are the coats of arms of the two families whose fortunes joined when the house was built, those of Marín and Ponce de León.
Roman milestone and statue of San Vicente Ferrer
At one corner of the house is the replica of a Roman milestone which previously stood alongside the Via Augusta, marking the distance covered from Cartagena towards Eliocroca (Lorca), and on top of this impressive monolith is a statue of Saint Vicente Ferrer.
A curious anecdote surrounds this figure of the saint, a missionary and theologian who is the patron saint of the city and region of Valencia. In the early 15th century Vicente was preaching in Lorca, close to the border between the Christian kingdoms of Spain and the Moorish kingdom of Granada, in an attempt to convert the unfaithful and the Jews, but met with little success and soon became disenchanted with the place.
On departure it is said that he shook the dirt from his sandals and declared “I shall not even take the dust from this town”.
To gain their revenge, when the townsfolk erected a statue in honour of the saint after his canonization in 1455 they did so alongside the busiest thoroughfare at the time, the Calle Corredera, so that passing horses, carts and carriages would cause him to be as dusty as possible!
History of the Casa de los Marín Ponce de León
Construction of the prestigious family residence was completed in 1630, at the time when members of the Ponce family filled important posts in local government and the armed forces, as they had done since the expulsion of the Moors from the kingdom of Murcia in 1243.(see background history of Lorca part 2) Opposite the house was an inn, also named after San Vicente, although this plot was later occupied by the Hotel España.
The main doorway was commissioned from master stonemasons Vallés, Garzón and Milanés in 1627, and on top of the side columns are schematic representations of the heads of elephants.
The house was occupied by Juan Diego García de Alcaraz y Ponce de León from the 1660s until 1720, passing two years later into the ownership of Antonio Joaquín de Mula García de Alcaraz. The last private owners were José Montegrifo and Eulogia Álvarez Fajardo of the whole property in the latter years of the 20th century.
In the earthquakes which hit Lorca on 11th May 2011 the building suffered considerable damage, and emergency work was required in order to avoid its collapse. However, in 2015 a government grant of almost 340,000 euros was confirmed to allow restoration work to go ahead.
This followed significant alterations during the 20th century, when the property was divided into two halves, and in 2006, when the façade at least was reunited but the interior was sub-divided still further into eight apartments and two commercial premises.
The building remains in private hands and is not open to the public.
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