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EXCURSION TO
CARAVACA NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA

ESPERANZA SANCTUARY IN
DE LA CRUZ CALASPARRA

& CALASPARRA Few kilometres away from Caravaca de la
Cruz is the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de la
Esperanza, patron saint of Calasparra. It was
built and sculpted inside a cave and belongs
to a unique ensemble in a natural setting of
impressive beauty, next to the river Segura.

Caravaca de la Cruz is a special and
astounding place. Iberians, Romans and
Muslims settled down here. The Castle of
Caravaca is in the centre of the locality,
where it was built by the Templar Knights in
the 15th century.

Caravaca is mainly the Holy Town, the Town
of the Cross, bearing its name. According to
the legend, the Moorish king Abu Zeid
converted to Christianity in 1232. Around
this legend, in 1617, the most important
monument of this Region of Murcia's
northwestern town started to be built in the
area of the fortress: the True Cross Sanctuary.
The most impressive element of the building
is its sumptuous, red marble facade, made
with marble from Cehegín, showing the great
importance of the Holy Cross.

From the centre of the town, visitors can go
to the castle on a funny little train from
which they will be able to appreciate the
beauty of this charming northwestern locality.
It is important to remember that, in 1998,
the Pope awarded the town of Caravaca de
la Cruz the Permanent Jubilee Year. Since
then, it belongs to the group of the only five
places in the world which have the privilege
of celebrating the Perpetual Jubilee (together
with Santiago de Compostela, Santo Toribio
de Liébana, Rome and Jerusalem). Caravaca
celebrates it at the True Cross Sanctuary
every 7 years, the next one being 2017.