There is an annual pilgrimage called “Santa Faz” that takes place in Alicante. It is on the second Thursday after Easter which was April 7th this year. It is the second largest pilgrimage in Spain and approximately 300,000 people are expected to do the pilgrimage this year.

The pilgrimage has a very long history and dates back to March 17th 1489. There was a very bad drought at that time and so a pilgrimage was held to ask for rain. Apparently during the first pilgrimage a tear miraculously appeared on the right cheek of Christ whose image is on the Santa Faz veil. The veil is said to be part of the cloth which Veronica wiped Christ’s face as he carried the cross to Calvary.  A few days after the first pilgrimage it began to rain which ended the long draught that had affected the region. There has been a pilgrimage every year for the last 527 years.

We decided to take part in the pilgrimage and headed down to the Church at approximately 7:30 am. There were lots of people gathering  for the eight kilometre walk from St Nicholas of Bari cathedral to the Santa Faz monastery.

People pick up walking sticks made of bamboo with dried rosemary which were given away at City hall. We managed to get two of the walking sticks to begin our pilgrimage.

We started the pilgrimage at 8 a.m. which is when the church procession begins. There is the Veil of veronica at the start along with some other religious statues. There is a specific prayer that is repeated all along the pilgrimage with loud speakers.

We were in the first third of the pilgrimage and walked along numerous side streets on our way to the monastery. It was very busy and we walked along the roadway following the crowd.

Some people came with team shirts, their own walking stick, religious item and others decorated shopping carts and loaded them up with beverages or personal belongings. There were lots of younger adults who were enjoying themselves and having drinks along the way.

There were even some people who walked the pilgrimage barefoot. We saw probably fifteen to twenty people bare feet walking along the route.

There were lots of people and we stopped to take it all in. Looking back down the highway we could see people for miles away. It was quite moving to see so many people taking part.

We saw lots of police on the pilgrimage and there were also lots of ambulances strategically parked along the route. The whole pilgrimage was very well-organized.

It took us about 2 1/2 hours to arrive at the Santa Faz monastery which is the final stop of the pilgrimage. There was a mass taking place and it was projected outside on a big screen for those who could not get inside.

There was also a separate line up for people who wanted to go into the monastery to see the Santa Faz veil.

We stayed outside watching the mass for a while, then headed back towards the buses to get a ride back into Alicante. We were able to get a bus fairly quickly. When we were heading back to Alicante on the bus we watched the line of people still walking the pilgrimage. There were miles and miles of people still walking.

We stopped at a cafe shop on the waterfront and had a well deserved rest. W enjoyed a coffee and snack before heading back home.

It was a very enjoyable experience and we were glad we took part.

“Adios y que tenga un grand días”

The tradition of Bull fighting (Torero in Spanish)  began in 1888 here in Alicante and has continued for over one hundred and twenty-five years. That is a very long time and it has a strong tradition here in Alicante and in Spain.

I won’t debate the issue whether bull fighting is right or wrong because frankly I am in no position to determine that. I am keeping an open mind to bull fighting and wanted to learn more. We decided to go and check out the “Museu del Toros”. The museum is attached to the Plaza del Toros. This is where they have the bull fights every year in Alicante.

The Plaza is located in the heart of Alicante and surrounded by cafe shops and a small park. There is also a large statue of bulls and a horseman in the park beside Plaza del Toros.

The museum was located on the second floor in part of the Plaza del Toros. The entrance was up a set of stairs aligned with beautiful blue tiles on the walls.

At the top of the stairs we came across a metal statue of a matador.

As well as the statue we were met by several bull heads and paintings mounted on the wall.

Once inside the museum there ware several alcoves along a long hallway. The alcoves contain information and displays related to a specific matador or group of matadors. There are also specific bulls mounted on the walls with plaques indicating the details of the bull, such as weight, year and name.

In the alcoves we saw some of the garments worn by the specific  Matador. Each piece of clothing is a work of art and quite ornate. They are custom-made and embroidered with silver or golden threads. Some of the “capotes” (Spanish for capes) are also adorn with artistic designs that can be very ornate. The Matadors highlighted are from the Alicante area and there was some of them had died in the bull ring.

 

Below is the matador cape that was very impressive. It was designed with the Veil of Veronica. It is the image of the holy face from Alicante which is very common image in Alicante.

We were able to see some of the older exhibits of the bull fighters garments and read some of the stories. It is amazing how young some of the bull fighters are. There is also a tradition of receiving the ear of the bull after the Bull is killed in the ring.

The museum was very interesting and we enjoyed it more than we thought we would. It was neat seeing all of the exhibits and some the old posters of the bull fighting events.

After the museum tour we stopped into the local cafe called “Plaza Espana” and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and tea.

“adios y que tenga un grand días”

 

 

We went to the Santa Maria Church located in the old quarter of Alicante. The church is the oldest active church in Alicante and was built between the 14th and 16th century. Apparently the church was built on top of the remains of a mosque.

From the outside the main features are the tower, the blue tiled dome and the entrance way which has massive doors and archway.

The church walls are approximately 2 feet think and are solid stone. There are no windows visible on the church and apparently the church was used as a place of refuge when the city was under attack. The exterior writings on the church are remnants of ancient notices which apparently were written on the church for people to see.

Inside the  main doors of the church the space opens up into a vast high domed open area.

There is an organ situated high on the wall overlooking the church pews.

Sunlight shines through the high windows and through the top of the  dome brightly lighting up the church interior. There are several alcoves within the church that have ornate statues.

The back drop to the church altar is a very ornate and beautifully painted with religious scenes, along with several golden statues.

The church is very impressive with a humble outside appearance but with a very detailed and ornate inside. We are definitely glad we took the time to visit this church.

“Adios y que tenga un grand días”