Holy Jubilee Year begins in Cehegín on July 25

The Jubilee celebrates the 300^th anniversary of the arrival of the figure of the Virgen de las Maravillas in Cehegín

On 25th July 2025 a year-long Holy Jubilee Year begins in the town of Cehegín in the north-west of the Region of Murcia in honour of the Most Holy Virgen de las Maravillas, who has been the focus of local religious worship for centuries, to celebrate the 300^th anniversary of the arrival of the carved figure of the Virgin in the town after its journey from Naples.

The Jubilee Year is being marked by a series of events, not only spiritual and religious but also cultural, artistic and gastronomic as Cehegín expects around half a million visitors over the 12 months.

In reality, the celebration of the tricentenary begins 9 days early on 16th July 2025, when the statue takes pride of place in the maritime procession of the Virgen del Carmen (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) in Cartagena. This is where the Virgen de las Maravillas arrived in Spain in 1725.

But the official opening of the Jubilee Year is on 25^th July in a ceremony which includes a Holy Mass and a historical recreation of the arrival of the statue, an event which will be broadcast on the La 7 regional television channel. The following day sees the première of the symphonic poem “Rara y Maravillosa Ave de Oriente” by Andrés Fernández Abellán, performed by the Sociedad Musical de Cehegín and the “En Clave” choir and narrated by Juan Ibernón following the text by Maravillas Jiménez.

The programme for August contains a blend of tradition, culture and excitement, beginning on the 2^nd with a gala at the Club Taurino and continuing on the 23^rd with a concert by “En Clave” in the Plaza de las Gárgolas. On the 30th the annual fiestas officially begin, and the following day an exhibition of photography is opened by the “Los Tres Tercios” association.

During the year Plenary Indulgences can be obtained on the following dates:

July 25 (opening of the Año Jubilar)

September 10 (Feast Day of Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas)

September 14 (end of the annual fiestas)

December 8 (Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception)

June 13 (Feast Day of San Ant San Antonio)

July 25 (closure of the Año Jubilar)

The history of the Virgen de las Maravillas in Cehegín

In the early 18^th century Cehegín suffered a succession of epidemics and poor harvests which led to a crisis in morale, and on this occasion the locals generally chose not to seek help from the town’s patron at the time, the Virgen de La Peña, on account of her sanctuary being located some 6 kilometres from the town.

It was against this backdrop that the Franciscan preacher Francisco Fernández Moreno Pastor took advantage of a visit from Pedro Antonio Pereti to Caravaca to order an image of the Virgen Mary which might raise the spirits of the population, and on his return to Italy Pedro placed the order with his brother Lorenzo Pereti, who in turn contacted the prestigious workshop of Nicolas Fumo in Naples.

It is not clear whether a new figure was created or whether an already existing statue was re-commissioned, but we do know that a new face was created to match the style of beauty specified. Legend has it that one night Lorenzo fell asleep and dreamt of such a face, and when he awoke it had been completed.

The figure left Naples on board an English cargo ship which unfortunately sank in the Mediterranean, but on 16^th July 1725 the case containing the statue was miraculously found intact and addressed to Carlos Rizo. Francisco Fernández Moreno Pastor made his way to Cartagena to see the statue of Mary and it was decided that it should be named “María in the advocation of Las Maravillas”, a reference to the marvellous beauty of the face.

When the statue arrived in Cehegín on 25th July 1725 a large crowd gathered to welcome it, and it was finally unveiled outside La Bodeguica. The locals were ecstatic, and the following day the statue was taken to its new home in the Franciscan Convent of San Esteban.

In 1953 the Virgen de las Maravillas was named Honorary Mayoress of Cehegín, receiving her staff on 14^th September before her procession to her sanctuary at the end of the fiestas held in her honour, and until this day the celebrations of her Feast Day on 10^th September are among the most popular in all of the Region of Murcia.