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The chapel of San Lázaro is on the edge of one of the higher quarters of Lorca, on the slopes of the hill on top of which the castle and the Parador hotel stand, and has been in ruins at least since the Spanish Civil War (1936-39): there is little to see at present except for the shell of the building.
Its history is, to say the least, vague, although some documents refer to a water spring inside the building which fed the trees on the surrounding hillside. Of the interior decoration all that remains are four panels belonging to the main altar screen, now housed in the former Collegiate Church of San Patricio, and an excellent Renaissance sculpture of the saint to whom the chapel is dedicated.
However, the district of San Lázaro has seen something of a revival in recent times as walkers pass through on their way up the hill to the castle and the Cejo de los Enamorados, and in February 2016 the Town Hall announced plans to restore the church of San Lázaro to the condition in which it might have been in the 16th and 17th centuries. This project has been made possible by the Diocese of Cartagena’s decision to cede the land on which the church stood to the Town Hall for 25 years.
The project is to include not only the restoration of the building itself, but also the creation of two new streets, a green area and a culvert to carry floodwater away under the ground.
Similar restoration work has already been completed at the church of San Roque y San Sebastián, which is currently the oldest church in Lorca and is now home to the Belén museum of the city. The intention is for the Ermita de San Lázaro to be made available for cultural purposes in a similar way.
Address: Calle Ramblilla de San Lázaro
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