Murcia Tourist Information - Around Murcia - Cravaca de la Cruz

Cravaca de la Cruz

Cravaca de la Cruz is the fifth holiest city in the world after Santiago de Compostela, Santo Toribio de Liebana, Rome and Jerusalem. This town therefore celebrates an Annus Sanctus every seven years. It was occupied by Arabs, and attained great political importance in the 16th and 17th century. Many of its grand monuments belong to that period. Its most important building is the Castle of Santa Cruz, built in the 17th Century. The castle has several convents and a church. There is a miraculous Cross housed in here which is famous for its healing powers. The Festivals of Santisima y Vera Cruz declared to be of National Tourist Interest. The whole site has Historic-Artistic Heritage status and houses the Museum of Religious Art and History.

Apart from its religious identity, Cravaca is an industrial town, the surrounding mountains contain large deposits of marble and iron; and there are industries like iron-works, tanneries and paper manufacturing, chocolate factories and oil factories.

The Church of Salvador is worth a visit which is a historic artistic site.