Caravaca de la Cruz

Caravaca de la Cruz is a fairly small but fairly important town on the western edge of the region of Murcia. It has its origins in the castle built there, during the wars of the "reconquesta", by the Knights Templars.
The city is most famous for its double-armed cross. The original two-armed cross is a jewelled casket about 12" high. Nobody knows why it has two arms - but they do know that it contains a relic of the True Cross. The Pope says it does, so it must be true. According to the story, the cross was brought down from heaven by a pair of angels. (This is unusual, since holy relics in Spain are usually discovered by shepherds.)
Caravaca is also renown for its Wine Horse festival. This two day fiesta is said to commemorate the occasion when a group of men and a number of horses escaped from the besieged castle and went in search of water. Finding none they returned, unseen by the surrounding Moors, with the horses burdened with wine.

NOTE : These photographs were taken before the days of 10 megapixel cameras. They are of relatively low resolution and are therefore not suitable for reproduction above half-page size.


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