There are numerous the legends that narrate Lorca origin. The majority they have a mythological character. According to Méndez Silva (1649), a prince troyano called Elio, along with one Greek personage called Grota, were the Eliocroca founders, that this way called in the Roman epoch the Roman Lorca. The Father Morote, on the other hand, there grants the Lorca foundation to the prince troyano Elio-Urzues, navigator for "Mare Nostrum". Espinalt wrote in 1778 that "in the year 4.018 of the creation of the world", one prince troyano called Elio founded a city whom it called [Ilorci]. Also Helios (the sun) was thought about a combination of the words and Kraton (government) to form the denomination of Eliocroca (city governed by the Sun). The Lorca region was already populated for Iberians during the Age of Bronze (culture of The Argar), due to this, the year of his foundation is not known by certainty.

Already already in the Roman period we find Eliocroca in the Itinerary of Antonio and in the August Route that was joining Tarragona and Jaen. Lorca will turn into population of the Carthaginian one, an agricultural establishment in the one over that the villae will predominate, Roman rustic towns. With romanización Lorca was suffering a progressive cristianización and already in the year 301 two representatives of the diocese lorquina came to Elvira's council in Granada.

About the Lorca visigoda scarcely we have news. In 713 it is signed Agreement of Teodomiro where the Lurqa place name appears already, and for that this population spends to integrate into an autonomous territory, together with another six cities, governed by Teodomiro; situation that the Moslem state will be supported up to the death of this one and the reorganization of , carried out by Abb-al-Rahaman II, which turned the Todmir territory into a demarcation dependent on Cordova and this way up to the dismemberment of the caliphate with the Almanzor death and the formation of the kingdoms of Factions, being Lorca one of them

In 1224, Alfonso X, son of Fernando III the Saint will conquer Lorca (The tower of the homage of the fortitude of Lorca, of square plant, is visible from many corners of the city. It is called a Tower Alphonsine, in honor to the Castilian king), and the city will continue, as in Arab epoch, his role of nucleus of a rich agricultural region and of important activity artisan, but the border character will make the development of the agriculture difficult. During the Reconquest, Lorca was a dangerous frontier city caught between the kingdom of Castile and the kingdom Moor of Granada. This way Lorca is going to be the key of the Kingdom, but also the game base for incursions to hostile territory. It will be the battle of the Alporchones, in 1452, her that gives end to the clashes on the border lorquina in reign of Juan II, who ten years earlier granted to Lorca the title of noble city.

Concluded the War of Granada and eliminated the Moslem danger, the city changes physiognomy, reforms will be carried out town-planning, there will develop the commerce and the development of the field of continued form. The numerous public works that were carried out attracted workers and stonemasons of other places, producing to him one considerable current of immigration that the population increased up to 8000 inhabitants. Between the new constructions he emphasizes it Collegiate church of San Patricio, erected in 1553, which will be the center religiously of the city, but also numerous convents as those of the Favor, Santo Domingo and San Francisco

With the XVIIth century Lorca is formed like a modern metropolis, but he does not neglect his defensive positions, especially on the coast, since the Turkish and Berber danger was threatening continuously coast, sowing the desolation and captivating the inhabitants of area.

This century will be a witness of the expulsion of the Moriscos, the epidemic of pest, in which half of the population died, and the droughts and the lobster plagues. Despite it from 1660 one initiates spectacular blast-off and we are present at his recovery, sample of it is the construction of new buildings between which he stands out Palace of Guevara
The XVIIIth century has a vital importance for the city, to the being one of the regions favored by the Bourbon Reforming policy. Lorca is formed like a modern city, losing his characters medieval. The population grows, spreads and installs to him in peripheral quarters of St Kitts and San Jose. The wall disappears, what is an indicative of major safety. The commerce of the barilla does that they install in Lorca and in port of Eagles important commerce houses to themselves, what will develop the bureaucracy and the bureaucracy and a good number of public works, turning the city in refuge of painters, sculptors and engravers who open in her his artistic activity

At the beginning of the XIXth century it will be provided with a socioeconomic model that will be that of a preindustrial community characterized for predominance of the primary sector and the strong increase of the population. But the break of the Marsh of Bridges, in 1802, the War of Independence and the epidemics of yellow fever, as well as pertinacious droughts, in times of the Regency of Genista articles seller, brought with it the famine and the emigration of more than twelve thousand persons; also, the disappearance of the commerce of the barilla deprived to region of one of his most healthy income

In this century the municipal Lorca term is going to suffer considerable changes: if to the beginning of the century it includes them municipalities of Eagles, Port - louvre and part of that of Mazarrón, to to conclude the century is formed by the same extension that possesses in the actuality

In 1865 the first steam machine will come to Lorca. The railroad Alcantarilla-Lorca inaugurated in 1885 and the Baza-Lorca, five years later, is going to suppose the integration of the region on the market nationally, making the movement of the minerals possible of coastal deposits and of the mines of sulfur and manganese of interior

The Restoration has prepared a period of prosperity and of calmness political, the city will be embellished by the squares of San Vicente, of the Theater and Columbus, by the construction of the Artistic Casino and Literary in 1885, of the Theater War in 1861, of the Bullring in 1892, etc.

At the beginning of XXth century the intense development of the deposits miners of the coastal area is going to suppose a relaunch of the life economic of the region. The civil war, the terrible drama of Contemporary Spain, it is going to bring with it paradoxically the beginning from the demographic recovery, although in two following decades emigration will produce a population stagnation to itself as a result of . But at present this flow has been invested: tanning, the pottery, the cement and the pork butcher's shops give one theirs city eminently agricultural and cattle an industrial tone to which an important percentage of the population is assigned.

The XXth century has meant for Lorca, finally, I progress, the technological blast-off the slow and gradual change of social structures, the specialization of the sectors productive, etc

On January 29, 2005 epicenter produced an earthquake of 4,6 grades on the Richter scale with in the districts of The Bale (1.068 inhabitants in 2005) and Zarcilla of Branches (1.077 inhabitants in 2005), which provoked diverse material damages, especially in the structure of diverse buildings, both in the already said districts and in Avilés, Hammock, Mrs Inés, Don Gonzalo, The Brown one, The Canaleja and Zarzadilla de Totana .

They stand out between others:

Column Miliaria of the Roman epoch
Fortaleza of the Castle
Pósito
Palace of Guevara (house of the columns)
The Town hall
the Collegiate church of San Patricio
Veranda of San Antonio (door of entry to the walled set of the city)
The Wall (at present immersed in archaeological activities and of restoration)

The deposit of “Los Cypresses ” (Her Torrecilla, Lorca) is exceptional, because in him they have managed to survive in the course of time, the remains of one of the towns argáricos located in flatness; it is for it, for what during November from 2002 to October, 2003, the Councillorship of Employment of the Town hall of Lorca and the Regional Service of Formation and I Use, they started the putting project in value and musealización of the deposit. The above mentioned project has carried out to turn of a program of Workshop of Employment with the financing of European Social Fund and of the Town hall of Lorca. As result of the works that in have been realized could have opened the first one Archaeological park in flatness of the Argar

The districts of the municipality are: Aguaderas, Almendricos, Avilés, Ravine Hondo, Bejar, Campillo, Carrasquilla, Cazalla, Hammock, Forked lightning, Mrs Inés, Listening, Springs, Garrobillo, Hinojar, Hole, Humbría, Thickets, The Bale, The Tova, Marchena, Morata, nogalte, Ortillo, Broiler, Rio, Sutullena, Torrecilla, Mediates, Tiata, Torrealvilla, Pulgara, Purias, Puntarrón, Ramonete, Well Fig tree, Zarcilla of Totana, Zarcilla of Branches and Zarzalico.