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The historic town center of Lorica, a Colombian Heritage Town (Pueblo Patrimonio), is full of interesting buildings. This post covers all highlights outside the riverwalk (malecón) and Public Market.
Parque Simón Bolívar
A great place to start is Parque Simón Bolívar, which is the main plaza in Lorica. It’s surrounded by some of the most important buildings in town.
Church
On the north end is the Santa Cruz de Lorica Church (Iglesia Santa Cruz de Lorica). This colonial church has an incredible façade, but when you look at it from the side, you notice it’s only one story high.
Town Hall
Across the plaza is the González Building (Edificio González), which serves as the town hall. It’s one of the most elegant buildings in town.
In a building to the right of the González Building, we found what was once the night deposit box at the former Antioquian Commercial Bank (Banco Comercial Antioqueño).
Parque Lácides Bersal
To the right of the church is Parque Lácides Bersal, which contains a statue of Lácides Bersal in the center. Bersal was an important Catholic priest in Lorica.
Architecture
East of Parque Simón Bolívar, we wandered through the streets and alleys of the markets. There were some interesting buildings including the Caraballo Building (Edificio Caraballo).
Plaza de La Concordia
The Caraballo Building sits just off Plaza de La Concordia, which contains a large outdoor public market. This seemed to be where most locals do their shopping. The shops contained mostly household goods, shoes, and clothing.
Club Lorica
A block north is another small plaza with two important buildings. On the east end is the Ana Gabriela Martínez Martelo House (Casa de Ana Gabriela Martínez Martelo). On the north end is the Club Lorica, which is a social club that’s still active.
House of the 13 Columns
A block north of that small plaza is the House of the 13 Columns (Casa de 13 Columnas), which functions as the Municipal Palace (Palacio Municipal). We passed another beautiful building on our way to see it.
Monument to the Father of the Fatherland
Finally, a couple blocks east of there is a plaza with a monument. The Monument to the Father of the Fatherland (Monument del Padre de la Patria) is an obelisk with an eagle at the top.
