Restoration continues at the Convent Church of San José in Caravaca

The splendid church and convent were founded in Caravaca by Santa Teresa de Jesús 450 years ago

The Town Hall of Caravaca de la Cruz, with support from the regional government of Murcia, continues to do its utmost to elevate the tourism potential of its historical and religious heritage, with the latest project to co me into the spotlight being the renovation of the altar screens and mural paintings of the former Convent of San José.

This baroque 16th-century convent church stands on the Calle Mayor in the centre of Caravaca and was founded in 1576 during the reforming fervour of the Carmelite Order which owed much to Santa Teresa de Jesús. El It became one of the most important buildings used by the Carmelite order and is a large complex, occupying a ground area of some 5,469 square metres.

It continued to be used by the “Barefoot Carmelites” for centuries and then passed into private ownership before the Town Hall and the regional government acquired it in 2020 with the intention of using it as a cultural venue, open to the public at large and to curious visitors to Caravaca.

The Tourism department of the Murcia government has already invested around 340,000 euros in urgent repair work on the old church, during which important architectonic data were gathered, and in the latest phase of renovation a further 1.1 million euros are to be spent on returning the altar screens and murals to their former glory. Work is also taking place on the main façade and a fire detection and prevention system is being installed, thanks in large part to the use of EU Next Generation funds.

Unfortunately, some of the religious art is in very poor condition and a considerable amount of restoration is required, while the silver and gold work also needs a lot of polishing and cleaning up. However, local Mayor José Francisco García maintains that the effort is worth making in order to restore “one of the great historical buildings of the Region, with the additional importance of being one of the 17 establishments founded by Santa Teresa de Jesús”.

Meanwhile, regional Culture and Tourism minister Carmen Conesa points out that this year is the 450th anniversary of the Convent being founded and that this is worthy tribute to the achievements of Santa Teresa de Jesús as well as a boost to the tourism sector in Caravaca.

For more local events, news and visiting information contact the local tourist office (telephone 968 702424) or go to the home page of Caravaca Today.