Lucena was known to the Moors as Al-Yussena. From the 9th to the 12th century, Lucena was an important Jewish center and was characterized by a predominantly Jewish population. In the 11th century, there was a large Talmudic academy here.

With the beginning of the Almoravid and Almohad rule, the number of Jews fell drastically. The Jews fled to places in the Christian north, were forcibly converted to Islam or deported as prisoners to North Africa. Lucena was conquered by the Almohads in 1148, after which it ceased to exist as a Jewish center.

Today, Lucena is a city with around 50,000 inhabitants and is known for its “Semana Santa”.