Caravaca recovers 14th century stonework coat of arms

The heralding carving is believed to have come from the Torre de las Toscas in the castle of Caravaca

The Town Hall of Caravaca de la Cruz is proud to announce that it has been presented with a heraldic coat of arms made of stone, believed to have been carved in the late 14^th century and with signs of being related to the Order of Santiago, the religious knights entrusted with protecting and governing the city at that point in the Middle Ages.

The piece will be stored for the time being in the local archaeological museum, which is a fascinating place to visit in order to gain insights in just a short time into the long and varied history of Caravaca.

The masonry has been studied and found to bear the two shields of the House of Figueroa, leading municipal archaeologist Francisco Brotóns and the official chronicler of Caravaca, José Antonio Melgares, to relate it to Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa, who was the master of the Order of Santiago between 1387 and 1409.

Family tradition has it that the coat of arms was originally created to be displayed on the Torre Jorquera, one of the towers dotted along the old city wall which surrounded the fortified city of Caravaca until well after the Moors were expelled from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492. However, recent research suggests that it may in fact have been located in the Torre de las Toscas, part of the castle-basilica itself.

(As the city expanded outside the wall in the 16^th and later centuries, the defensive structure gradually disappeared, locals using the stonework as part of their own homes and workshops. Click here for a history of Caravaca.)

Until now the coat of arms has been in storage in Marbella, and only now has it been donated to Caravaca by María Luisa Lacal after belonging to the Marsilla family for decades.

Description

The heraldic composition originally measured approximately 69.6 cm in width and 93 cm in height, and in the lower part there are two blazons of the House of Figueroa with their characteristic five fig leaves (one above, the others aligned in pairs beneath). These two blazons are separated by a fleur de lys Latin cross with scallop shells on the crosspieces.

Above them was a roof-piece, and above that a cross. There is no sign of paint having been applied at any stage.

The supremacy of Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa in the Order of Santiago is associated with the construction of the Torre de las Toscas and a similar decorative piece was documented by researcher González Simancas over the doorway of the tower in the early 20^th century.

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.