Work begins on €1 million renovation of historic Caravaca convent
The first phase of the restoration project at San José Convent kicks off this month
The long-awaited renovation of the former Convent of San José in Caravaca de la Cruz will begin in the final week of August, marking the first major step in bringing one of the municipality's most iconic heritage sites back to life.
Funded with more than €1 million from the European Next Generation Fund's tourism heritage renovation programme, this initial phase will be carried out by local company Azuche88. The works are expected to last approximately six months.
Mayor José Francisco García celebrated the launch of the project, calling the building "a true heritage and spiritual gem, not only for Caravaca, but for the entire Region of Murcia."
He also highlighted the timing, noting that "next year marks the 450th anniversary of its founding by direct order of Santa Teresa de Jesús, and this renovation will be the best way to commemorate this significant anniversary."
The current works will focus on restoring the former church complex, including murals, vaults and altarpieces. The space will be fitted with air conditioning, fire protection and new lighting and sound systems. Restoration of the roofs and both interior and exterior facades is also included.
Once completed, the site will be ready to host guided tours, exhibitions, concerts, conferences and other public events.Regional Minister of Tourism Carmen Conesa described the project as "an ambitious and necessary intervention, which begins the enhancement of a key site for spiritual and cultural tourism."
She added that "the church will be restored and made more accessible and functional as a space for visits, concerts, exhibitions and other cultural uses."
Ms Conesa also emphasised that "the project is part of the regional strategy to recover and promote historical heritage for sustainable and tourism purposes."
This new phase follows a series of preparatory and emergency works already carried out on the site. With a total investment of more than €340,000, preliminary work included a full pathology and structural study, a planimetric survey using digital photogrammetry and a historical-archaeological study.
The latter has shed new light on the evolution of the complex and the heritage value of the adjacent 16th-century Casa de las Mandaderas.
An early archaeological intervention and termite control treatment were also carried out, with a dedicated budget of €17,000 managed by the Region of Murcia Tourism Institute.Earlier this year, a first emergency restoration phase was completed with an investment of €200,000. This focused on the most deteriorated areas of the building.
As the 450th anniversary approaches, Mayor García confirmed that "a special programme of cultural activities is already being prepared" in honour of the special occasion.
For more local information, including the Holy Jubilee Year as well as local news and what’s on, go to the home page of Caravaca Today
Address
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
