The futuristic 3D printing technique that one Murcia town is using to preserve its history
Two historic Caravaca de la Cruz artefacts will be recreated to bring them home after a century in Madrid’s national museum
Caravaca de la Cruz is reaching into the future to connect with its past with the help of state-of-the-art 3D scanning technology. The town is creating exact replicas of two of its most treasured archaeological finds: the Centaur of Los Royos (Centauro de Los Royos) and the Diadem of the Incarnation (la Diadema de La Encarnación).
Though both artefacts have resided in Madrid’s National Archaeological Museum for the past century, Caravaca is now taking a bold step to digitally reclaim its heritage. Thanks to a request approved by the Ministry of Culture, these historical pieces have undergone detailed 3D scanning that will allow for the creation of full-scale digital and physical clones.
These replicas will be displayed at the town’s Municipal Archaeological Museum La Soledad, giving locals and visitors the chance to experience them up close.According to the Councillor for Tourism, José Santiago Villa, "a project is currently underway to renovate the space dedicated to Archaeology within the Municipal Museum Network, located in the former church of La Soledad. The goal is to improve the conservation and safeguarding of Caravaca's rich and varied archaeological heritage and to present it to the public in a more up-to-date, attractive and accessible way.
"Among the new features that will be included in this project is the introduction of replicas of these famous pieces, which will be on display so that both Caravaca residents and tourists can see them in detail and with complete precision," the Tourism Councillor announced.
The high-tech scans were carried out by specialists in a dedicated room at the National Archaeological Museum. Using precision 3D scanning equipment, experts created digital clones of both the Diadem and the Centaur, allowing for highly accurate reproductions. The data will also support virtual and augmented reality applications, allowing visitors to view full-scale models through mobile devices or VR headsets.
The Diadem of the Incarnation
Dating from between 1700 and 1500 BC, the Diadem is believed to have come from a high-status burial at the Plaza de Armas site. Made of gold rather than the usual silver of similar finds, it stands out as a rare luxury item likely worn by a woman of great influence in the Argaric culture.
Eduardo Galán, chief curator of the Department of Prehistory at the National Archaeological Museum, emphasised the diadem's importance.
"The Caravaca diadem entered the museum 100 years ago and is one of the institution's iconic pieces," he noted.
The piece was found by a farm worker on the estate of Blas Marsilla Melgares. He gave the diadem to his brother-in-law, Amancio Marín de Cuenca, who, one hundred years ago, in 1925, donated it to the National Archaeological Museum.
The Centaur of Los Royos
The Centaur of Los Royos, meanwhile, is a bronze figure from the sixth century BC, imported from Greece. Likely a decorative element, it found its way to Caravaca via ancient trade routes. Its blend of human and animal forms, complete with flowing hair and a faint smile, offers a glimpse into the artistic exchange between Iberian and Greek civilizations.
As a symbol of contact between cultures, the centaur has long fascinated scholars. It was first studied in 1897 by Eulogio Saavedra y Pérez de Meca, an academic from Lorca who later submitted it to the National Archaeological Museum.
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Images: Ayuntamiento de Caravaca de la Cruz
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Calle De Las Monjas, 19, 30400 CARAVACA DE LA CRUZTel: 968 702424 / 968 701003
Oficina de Turismo de Caravaca de la Cruz
More information about the places of interest which can be visited in the municipality of Caravaca de la Cruz, along with what's on and local news can be found in the Caravaca Today.
Caravaca de la Cruz, in the north-west of the Region of Murcia, is one of only 5 Holy Cities in the Roman Catholic world, a centre of pilgrimage, along with Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela and Santo Toribio de Liebana, and is home to the Cross of Caravaca, the Vera Cruz.
The status of Holy City was bestowed by Pope John Paul II in 1998, granting the City a Permanent Jubilee year every 7 years for perpetuity, the first one held in 2003 and the next in 2024.
The strategic and natural advantages of Caravaca de la Cruz have attracted the attention of settlers for more than 800,000 years, the Cueva Negra yielding remains of Homo Heidelbergensis, forbears of the Neanderthals and the municipality also houses important archaeological remains from the Argaric, Iberian and Roman cultures. many of these can be seen in the Municipal Archaeological Museum.
As a border town caught between the Catholic forces of Castille and the last remaining Moorish stronghold in Spain, Granada, Caravaca had a turbulent medieval history, but it was during this period that the legend of the Cross of Caravaca was born, bringing the religious orders which shaped the structure of Caravaca today, with its impressive hilltop castle and eclectic collection of churches and monasteries, religious tourism today being a backbone of the town´s economy.
Caravaca de la Cruz is a municipality with important natural resources, including extensive forests, part of which have protected status due to their wealth of flora and fauna, and due to the abundant water supplies is also a major area for canned fruit production, apricots in particular being an important crop.
Caravaca is renown for its important May Fiestas, held in honour of the Vera Cruz, which also incorporate the Moors and Christians celebrations and the Running of the Wine Horses.
Caravaca de la Cruz is also the home of Europe´s largest collection of ethnic instruments at Barranda, the Museo de Música Étnica Barranda and is the location of the Barranda festival de Cuadrillas, which celebrates the Region's ethnic music traditions.
The municipality is home to around 26,000 inhabitants and shares boundaries with Moratalla, Cehegín, Lorca, Puebla de Don Fadrique in the province of Granada and Vélez-Blanco in the province of Almería.
Opening times:
Weekdays: 10.00 to 14.00 and 16.30 to 19.30
Saturdays: 10.30 to 14.00 and 16.30 to 19.30
Sundays and public holidays: 10.30 to 14.00
Click for map, Caravaca de la Cruz Tourist Office
