Caravaca is beautifying the gardens around the Templete monument

The city of Caravaca prepares for the annual fiestas and the Running of the Wine Horses in early May

The “Templete”, a kind of elaborate historic pergola building in Caravaca de la Cruz, is one of the city’s most iconic monuments and is often referred to by locals simply as the "Bañadero", the bathing place, due to its significance in the Fiestas of the Santísima y Vera Cruz at the beginning of May. At the same time, it is he most instantly recognisable and iconic of the many historic buildings within the Holy City of Caravaca de la Cruz.

This year, with the fiestas and the Running of the Wine Horses only around 6 weeks away, the Town Hall has announced plans to beautify the garden area around the Templete through the planting of around 800 flowers and plants belonging to seven species, while at the same time updating the watering system and carrying out repairs on the stone surround. This falls within a larger-scale project which also involves the imminent planting of 2,000 seasonal flowers at various locations in the municipality including Gran Vía, Calle Ciruelos, Calle Asturias, Camino del Huerto, Calle Olivericas and Plaza Paco Pim.

As for the existing plants which are to be removed, they will be taken to other public spaces including the new Parque Mayrena.

The Templete we see today was built in 1762 on the same location as a former chapel and stands above a water fountain which has been the scene of a ritual act of blessing the waters of the city and the outlying agricultural areas since at least 1384. Beneath it is the point at which the medieval irrigation channels joined, supporting agricultural activity in the land around Caravaca and therefore an important location, and was marked with a "Humilladero" in the shape of a cross, a symbol indicating its importance.

The Templete was completed in 1801 and has been at the centre of the key ritual of the annual Fiestas of the Santísima y Vera Cruz (the Cross of Caravaca, which is at the heart of the 7-yearly Holy Jubilee). These fiestas are celebrated in early May and on 3rd May the Cross is bathed in the waters of the Templete, blessing the waters of the town and all the lands around them.

Locals still take the water which is blessed on 3rd May to sprinkle on their plants and agricultural plots, and the remaining water is conserved by the Cofradía of the Santísima y Vera Cruz for use in religious activities throughout the year. The bathing of the cross takes place at 21.00 on the third day of the fiestas each year following a mock skirmish between the forces of the Moors and Christians, just before the Vera Cruz is triumphantly paraded to the church of El Salvador, followed by an enormous fireworks display.

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.