Portal de Lorca
www.portaldelorca.com
Santa Quiteria, 11/20/1909
Dear fellow citizens, members of the Municipal Corporation, representatives of institutions and social and neighborhood, good afternoon and welcome to this solemn ceremony in which the municipality makes delivery of titles, honors and awards to individuals and groups who have excelled in their performance in Lorca's favor and its inhabitants.
There in the life of a city certain dates that are milestones in the evolution of each year, events and celebrations that mark the way of being and that of their neighbors.
Today we are in one of those key dates in the annual calendar of our beloved Lorca, the feast of the Patron Saint Clement, a celebration full of myth and legend, forged in a momentous time in our history and our culture, that of Lorca conquest of the Kingdom of Castile.
It is tradition at this time lorquina remove the myth of the dusty scrolls of ancient books, and recreate the legendary feat of making the castle.
Legend has it that the Infante Don Alfonso, who christened history as King Wise, came to the lands of the Islamic Lurqa in the fall of 1244 with the sole intention of taking the Arab fortress by order of his father, Fernando III, and unite the city founded by Elio and Croton to the Crown of Castile.
Legend has it draws the Prince on the eve of battle, encamped his forces on land now occupied by the Convent, praying to the Virgen de las Huertas his intercession in order to achieve such a risky conquest.
The Prince, clad in his beautiful youth, know that the annexation of lorquina strength is essential for the Kingdom of Castile whether to continue rounding up the followers of al-Andalus.
He also knows that the mission will not be easy, but relies on the value of its troops and the protection of the Virgin to ascend to the fortress and defeat the enemy.
We can imagine the Prince on the night of November 22 in the royal tent, praying to the Virgin and at the same time, planning military strategy, dictating to his knights battle plan.
While his heart was pumping his chest fiercely, Alfonso has put his ambition in the sky, which floats in the sky, calm and impregnable, the Alcazaba Lorca.
Carefully and accurately, with moderation and wisdom, we painted the Father Christian Morote strategy.
Wrapped in the cloak of night and without noise of drums, Alfonso divided into three army battalions to face the attack.
Captain Morviedro directs that harass the west entrance to the Castle, the Levante Mazuelo Sancho and Alfonso himself commanded the center, responsible for climbing the most difficult and access to the fort through the gate better defended.
La Virgen de las Huertas attending the prayers of the Prince, and sends a dense fog that accompanies the ascent to the castle of the Christian armies, preventing the imaginary and lookouts to warn of the enemy offensive.
Covered by the fog, the Castilian soldiers are in their positions.
Alfonso commanded the soldiers led by Morviedro Poniente make noise, and rivals the bait, moving up to defend the enclave.
Meanwhile, the Velica, the Spaniards destroy the so-called New Gate and enter the site.
The Arabs, believing that the only threat from the West was the noise, fall into the trap and pass through to speed the strength to go to the opposite point, where Christians and have been put forward.
Alfonso commanded his battalion scale the high walls and down the Fish Gate, while the attackers ordered the west enter the enclosure.
When the enemy is still trying to contain the onslaught from the Levant, and Christians around the back.
"The Infante worked wonders with the power of his arm," recounts the Father Morote, "being the first with his sword and shield, entered the square."
Finally they give up the brave African soldiers.
The Castle Alcayde down to the front door, he fell at the feet of the Prince and gave him the keys of the fortress.
In the battlements, towers, on the walls, the flags of Castile, Leon and the banner with the Cross are deployed on the morning of November 23, saluting the Guadalentín Valley, announced that the impregnable bastion was Lurqa taken, which is Spanish and Lorca, Alfonso troops have expired.
The Prince looks up and gives thanks to the Virgen de las Huertas.
Is 23 November, the same day he was born twenty years earlier.
And he, with his feet on the ground, the ambition in the sky, and the beating heart, just take Lorca.
We know that this story is legend.
There was no struggle, no miracle.
There was no strategy or battle.
It was not even in November.
However, in each San Clemente, the Lorca back to remember the legends handed down from our ancestors, and remember with tenderness that may be the episode in our history that has permeated the collective imagination.
But I think there is a reason that, over the centuries has been central to the legends of the conquest of the Castle calaran impregnate our memories and deep into the imagination of those who live here.
These fables are presented to each lorquino that has rendered his ears an adventure of courage and wisdom, magic and devotion, effort and sacrifice, a face with which we identify Lorca.
The Lorca are brave, they always are, and cunning to conquer any feat.
Lorca express the deep beliefs, who use the city's air each new Easter.
The Lorca we work every day, every hour, we left not knowing what is tiredness, motivated by the goals that we set at all times.
And Lorca, you we be no doubt, are tenacious, because nothing has stopped us along the ancient history of this city that honors us welcoming us, and we honor living and loving it.
Nothing has stopped us, nor the difficulties of being a frontier land for centuries, and natural disasters, or pests, or economic problems, no war, even if they were siblings.
Again and again, the face of adversity, we have conjured all Lorca, different blood brothers, uniting for fear it less fear, and that the victory was secure.
As Alfonso X before the battle, we had our feet on the ground, the ambition in the sky and the heart beating strongly in the chest, demonstrating that we are alive, proving that nothing can resist us.
And today, we, heirs of a history that belongs to us inhabiting these streets, children of our parents and our grandparents gave us what Lorca is, we still have a heart that stops beating, an ambition set in the sky few feet above the ground.
But, yes, there was no struggle or battle, or sheep with torches, or bloodshed.
There was negotiation and agreement.
It was really a fruitful and glorious victory, the triumph of dialogue over the blood, negotiation and agreement, which allowed coexistence for centuries and until today, of different people with different cultures and religions , and began to build a society, Lorca, based on the values of tolerance and work together.
With these virtues, with those values that make us better face the future with certainty that we are prepared for anything that might bring, knowing that any battle that put us ahead get a win and always will be strengthened Lorca by the momentum of its citizens.
With unity, with confidence in the future, nothing may be unattainable.
Therefore in this celebration of our city, in this day Lorca we all celebrate the joy of living in these streets, I make a request to all Lorca.
This is a request that you do as mayor and as a neighbor proud of it.
This is a request that part from the history of our city and that should lead us into the future we all hope.
I ask you tonight, my friends, all conjure us Lorca, we are one, so we can leave our children an even better city than we inherited from our parents.
Together we can achieve everything we set out, without fear of anything, without fear none.
With your feet on the ground, which is to say this, with the ambition in the sky, ie the future with the heart beating, which is to say that we live, which Lorca is still alive.
We must build the future from the present, thinking about what our town needs and doing everything possible to give.
Knowing that the collective good is paramount and our city deserves to be even better, has to be even better, you need an infrastructure that I, as Mayor, I will require that you, as citizens, you also have to demand.
Lorca need an Auditorium and Congress Center, and we will have.
Lorca need a university campus, and we will have, it is having.
Lorca needs to be an industrial city, and we will be, it is still looking for investments wherever necessary.
Lorca need for greater accessibility, both around town and in the center, and Rounds and street improvements they will make possible.
I know that today these arrangements are causing problems for citizens, and I would ask forgiveness and understanding.
But it is also true that our city deserves a few blocks perfectly equipped, with full accessibility for everyone, not deface the monuments of the city, but contribute to improving our historical contemplation.
A project is now created, but it is a future investment.
In that spirit we have to face every day, looking from today forward, and being fully aware that our city needs all of us and we are all irreplaceable for our city.
Because management is for everyone and because Lorca today we have a council with the doors open to all citizens who provided you show that you care about this city and want to join in an active way with her and her progress.
So today the City Council makes possible an evening like this, which recognize individuals and groups critical to our city, who have demonstrated their involvement with Lorca and its neighbors.
People who have accompanied us on the boards of the Theatre War no reap a distinction or a prize.
What today is reflected collective gratitude of a city that is indebted to them, a city that with these appointments try to restore a part of everything that they have received.
For an example for everyone, because without people how are you, our town would be very different.
It is difficult to talk about winning today, add something new to what has long been said about them, and how much we know.
But yes I would highlight each of the winners are some values that we all have to learn to be better and more valuable to the collective good.
- And we have to put in everything that we make the same effort and the same excitement as Juan Valverde has always placed in the local sports;
- The same patience and wisdom that the hands of the embroiderer have placed in every stitch;
- The same courage and the same sacrifice with which agents of the National Police leave every day to the streets to ensure our security;
- The same altruism and other work by the Hospitality of Our Lady of Lourdes has squandered for nearly forty years;
- The same dedication and solidarity shown by José Resines Tolosana each patient;
- The same order of importance to tradition Rezaores showing the Stations of the Cross;
- The same impulse that the youth of the Youth Council bring to every project, every desire;
- The same talent and desire to overcome the same Rafael Rosell Cebrián turned in every class and every student.
- And, of course, we take everything we have to add, like Emilio Francisco Cayuela and Happy, our ingenuity, our artistic ability, our desire to create admired masterpieces with which we continue to amaze.
In essence, we must take the example of Lorca's most illustrious and grow up, maybe someday, to walk with their heads high with pride in knowing that we are valuable to our neighbors, our city and our world, are part of a society we need and that we need.
Because alone we can never move forward.
Winners, my friends, the world we live in needs you now more than ever.
And I ask you again not turn your back, because by working together, any goal that we have to achieve is always more closely.
As Alfonso X, as our ancestors, we continue to have our feet on the ground.
Let us put our ambition in the sky.
Above all, we allow our heart that we invade life.
Because we're from Lorca and nothing can stop us.
Thank you very much everybody, and congratulations to the winners.
Source: Alcalde de Lorca
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