Lucena CIty

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.


Location

Bounded on the north and northeast by the Municipality of Pagbilao, on the south and southeast by the Tayabas Bay, on the southwest by the Municipality of Sariaya, and on the northwest by the municipality of Tayabas, Lucena City at the Southeastern part of Quezon Province is approximately 137 kilometers southeast of Manila via the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway.
As one of the busiest fishing ports and a major domestic passenger seaport in Luzon, Lucena has become a gateway to Southern Tagalog, Metro Manila and other parts of Mainland Luzon from the Bicol region and the island provinces of Marinduque, Masbate, Palawan, and Romblon. The City is linked to its neighboring towns, cities, and provinces through various transport networks--roads, railways, sea and air.Land AreaThe land area of Lucena is small--approximately 8,315.73 hectares. This represents 0.95% of the provinces and 15% of the district total land areas. About 97.9% of the total land area of Lucena belongs to barangays outside the city proper. The biggest five of which are Mayao Castillo, Ibabang Iyam, Isabang, Mayao Silangan, and Ibabang Dupay that makes up almost 40% of the City’s total land area.
Topography Lucena is situated on a flat terrain with slightly rolling hills. The greatest part of the land has a slope of 0 to 3%. Slope of 10 to 20% comprise only a little portion of the land. Nine rivers and six creeks serve as natural drainage for the city. The City is wedged between two big rivers, the Dumacaa River in the eastern part, which abounds with boulders, and Iyam River in the west which has an abundant deposit of gravel and sand. There are few marshes along the seacoast, because most of them have been converted into fishponds.Political Subdivision