Lucena

Lucena (pop. 46,000) is a town in southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba, in Andalusia, 60 km southeast of Córdoba, 85 km north of Málaga, 140 km east of Seville, 105 km west of Granada, and 90 km southwest of Jaén. It is the second major city in the province after the provincial capital (also called Cordoba). It's located at the conjunction of important highways in the geographical center of Andalusia. People from Lucena are called "Lucentinos." The city was originally known as Eliossana, from the Hebrew Elí hosanna, "God may save us". Muslims called it Al-Yussana.

Geography

Lucena is situated on the Lucena River, a minor tributary of the Genil. Its altitude is 487 meters and its geographic coordinates are 37º 24' N, 4º 29' W. Magnificently situated, it is surrounded by strong walls and wide moats.

Over 90 percent of the population lives to the northeast of the city district (término municipal).

History

In early times Lucena was inhabited almost exclusively by Jews who had arrived together with its founders; hence it was called "Jews' City", a nickname also applied to Granada and Tarragona. The Jews of Lucena, who carried on extensive trade and industries, were, according to an Arab writer, richer than those of any other city. They enjoyed the same freedom as their coreligionists in the large Muslim cities. Their rabbi, who was elected by the entire community, was granted special privileges and acted as judge in the civil and criminal cases arising in the community. The Jews lived peaceably until the Almoravides came into power.

At the beginning of the eleventh century, several important Jewish scholars lived in Lucena. Isaac Alfasi founded a large Talmudic academy in Lucena, and here also Isaac ibn Ghayyat, Isaac ibn Albalia, and Joseph ibn Migash were prominent.

Lucena was taken from the Moors early in the 14th century; it was in the attempt to recapture it that King Boabdil of Granada was taken prisoner in 1483.

The parish church dates from the ending of the 15th century. Our Lady of Araceli is an image brought from Rome in the 16th century and is the patron of Lucena, canonically crowned in 1948.

The chief industries are the manufacture of furniture, industrial refrigerators, brandy, bronze lamps and pottery, especially the large earthenware jars (tinajas) used in the past throughout Spain for the storage of oil and wine, some of which hold more than 300 gallons. Matches also used to be made there. There is considerable trade in agricultural produce. The horse fair in September was famous throughout Andalusia, but since the last decades of the 20th century there is only a fair like in most towns in Andalusia.

This town gives its name to a city of the Philippines islands Lucena City and another city at state of Paraiba in the northeast of Brazil, called Lucena too.

There's another city in southern Brazil called 'Presidente Lucena.' This name came from Henrique Pereira de Lucena (born in Recife, capital of the state of Pernambuco. He later nominated Barão de Lucena (or Baron of Lucena) who governed the provinces of Pernambuco, Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul at the Century XIX during the period of Brazilian Empire.

The Count of Lucena (Conde de Lucena) is S.E. Don Hugo O'Donnell, Duke of Tetuan, a Grandee of Spain.

Another famous person from Lucena was Abraão de Lucena (in Portuguese) or Abraham of Lucena (in English), a rabbi who founded the first synagogue in the USA. He lived in Recife (Brazil) in the sixteenth century before travelling to New Amsterdam (New York) where he died.