December 1 Free guided tour of the legacy of the Franciscan Order in Yecla

One of the seeds from which the post-medieval town of Yecla grew in the 16^th and 17^th centuries

This free visit in Yecla, in the north of the Region of Murcia, traces the monuments left to the town by the Franciscan Order in centuries past, including the Chapel of the Virgen de las Angustias and the monumental church of San Francisco. The splendour of the architecture stands testimony to the importance of the “Orden Franciscana y la Venerable Orden Tercera” in Yecla, and the tour includes explanations of some of the unusual decorative elements and devotional figures employed in the architecture.

Pride of place perhaps goes to the collection of sculpted figures in the Virgen de las Angustia tableau, created by Francisco Salzillo in 1763, but construction started a good deal earlier in the 16th and 17th centuries. According to some historians, it was the seed from which the current town of Yecla eventually grew along with the earlier Iglesia de la Asunción, and the large bell gable which stands at the top of the façade was added in the early 18th century. In 1725 permission was granted to build a chapel dedicated to the Virgen de las Angustias as an annex to the monastery church.

The tour begins at 10.30 outside the church of San Francisco (click here for map) and lasts approximately 2 hours. Registration costs 10 euros (for the visit to the winery and a tasting) and can be carried out online here.

Comfortable footwear is recommended.

If visiting Yecla make sure one of your first ports of call is the tourist office (Plaza Mayor, 1, email turismo@yecla.es, telephone 968 754104).

For more local events, news and visiting information go to the home page of Yecla Today.