LA FUENSANTA AND THE NATURE RESERVE "EL VALLE"

Very close to Murcia is the sanctuary of "La Fuensanta", the usual residence of the patron virgin of the city. Twice a year she is visited in a pilgrimage from the city (Lent and September fiestas).

The worship of the virgin of "La Fuensanta" -who took the place of the virgin of "La Arrixaca"- dates from the Middle Ages, when the hermits drank the water of a holy fountain (Fuente Santa). The sanctuary, as it is known today, was built at the end of the XVII century, and since then it has been through various restorations.

It is made up of a traditional Murcian Baroque temple, which has three naves: a large central nave and two side naves with chapels. The facade (1705) is the work of Toribio Martinez de la Vega and it has two towers and an arched door. Two angels holding the coat of arms of the Cathedral Council, whose initiative made the building of the temple possible, stand out, as does a central niche with the image of the virgin of "La Fuensanta" with San Patricio and San Fulgencio, the work of Jaime Bort.

Inside, there are some splendid reliefs and sculptures by Gonzalez Moreno. The paintings and murals of the dome and of the choir are the work of the painter Pedro Flores. In the first, the people and history of Murcia on a pilgrimage to the virgin with Alfonso X, the Count of Floridablanca, Cardinal Belluga, Francisco Salzillo, etc are represented. In the choir we can see the coronation of the virgin of "La Fuensanta" on the old bridge.

"El Valle" is a natural corner, buried in the heart of the Carrascoy Mountains. The place is made up of 2700 hectares, of which 1900 form the park, declared a protected natural space since 1979. It is covered in pine trees, craggy rocks and places of extraordinary natural beauty. There is a centre there for the recovery of woodland fauna and some woodland nurseries. It is, without doubt, one of the best-loved natural spots of the Murcians.

From the "Cresta del Gallo", as from the "Fuensanta", there are some impressive views of Murcia and its countryside; of Monteagudo -with the heart of Jesus- of the monastery of "Los Jerónimos", the Murcian mountains, etc. Close to the Sanctuary of the virgin of "La Fuensanta", we can see the chapel and the monastery "de la Luz" (whose first residents where anchorites), the chapel of "San Antonio el Pobre", and the convent of the Franciscans of "Santa Catalina del Monte". All of these places are well worth a visit.