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May 16-18 Free activities in Caravaca for International Museum Day
Guided tours, open days, wine tasting and a children’s treasure hunt are all on the programme for the International Museum Day celebrations
Between Thursday May 16 and Saturday 18, Caravaca de la Cruz is hosting a series of activities to celebrate ‘International Museum Day’, which falls on the 18th.On the Thursday, there is a guided tour around the town (in Spanish) at 7pm to discover ‘The name of the streets and things’, wherein historian and municipal technician Indalecio Pozo will explain the stories behind the Cabezo de San Sebastián, Cabezo de la Cruz and Cabezo de la Concepción, and will also include a visit to the churches of Santa Elena and Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno and the recently renovated church of San Sebastián.
On Friday May 17, Caravaca will host the National Assembly of Teresian Cities of Spain, composed of the 17 municipalities in which Santa Teresa founded convents. The aim of this conference is to continue to promote tourism, cultural and spiritual project under the project ‘Traces of Teresa’, based on the legacy of this fascinating Saint and mystic.
Also on the Friday 17, at 5pm, the Department of Tourism will be putting on a guided tour of the old Convent of San José de las Madres Carmelitas. At 7pm and 8pm there is the chance to discover the origin of the Running of the Wine Horses fiesta that the town is famous for, with a talk by historian and municipal archivist Diego Marín in the renovated cellars of the Casa-Museo de los Caballos del Vino, accompanied by a tasting of Vino de la Cruz wine and Yemas de Caravaca sweet treats.
Finally, on Saturday May 18, there will be an open day at the Municipal Museum Network and, for families with children, there will be a sort of treasure hunt aimed at children under 12 years of age, who must be accompanied by a responsible adult. The treasure hunt, or ‘Gymkana en familia. El reto de los museos’ will start at 11am at the La Soledad Archaeological Museum.
All these activities are free but spaces are limited and so prior booking is a must. Registration for all the events opens on Monday May 13 and can be made in person at the Museo de la Fiesta (Municipal Tourist Office), by email to reservas@caravacadelacruz.es or by telephone on 0034 968 705 620.
For more local news, events and visiting information go to the home page of Caravaca Today
Image: Ayuntamiento de Caravaca de la Cruz
Address
Calle De Las Monjas, 17 30400 CARAVACA DE LA CRUZTel: 968 702 424 / 968 701 003
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 dedicated Caravaca de la Cruz section.
Caravaca de la Cruz, in the North-west of the Region of Murcia, is one of only 5 Holy Cities in the World, a centre of Pilgrimage, along with Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela and Santo Toribio de Liebana, 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, the next one in 2017.
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 Mediaeval 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 it's 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 it´s 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 borders with Moratalla, Cehegín, Lorca, Granada and Almería.
Opening times:
1st October to 31st May
Monday to Friday, 10am to 2.30pm and 4.30pm to 7.30pm.
Saturday, 10.30am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm.
Sunday and bank holiday, 10.30am to 2pm
1st June to 30th September.
Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm.
Saturday, 10.30am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm.
Sunday and bank holiday, 10.30am to 2pm.
Click for map, Caravaca de la Cruz Tourist Office
