What to See
San Martín Obispo’s Church
Callosa de Segura has a unique Historical Artistic National Monument, which is the Church of San Martin Obispo, which dates back to the XVI century.
It is a magnificent Renaissance example of the Church Lounge of three naves of equal height with vaults raised on big columns of classical bearing that respond to a model outside the Valencian world being the cleanest and exquisite example of the church Lounge.
The main facade belongs to the late Gothic adorned with archivolts and agrelacos where we can read the following inscription: "This is the house of God and gate of heaven".
In the XVIII century a reform provided to the interior of a huge central dome and Rococo decoration. The bell tower dates from S. XVII and has five bells which touches announce events to the people. The Sacristy and the Chapel of the Communion date back to the XVIII century of neoclassic style.
In its interior there remain important works of goldwork of Miguel de Vera of the XVI century (Image of St Martin, Parochial Cross and Custody Processional), as well as passionflowers sculptures and Rabasa's contemporary altarpieces, Noguera, etc.
Sanctuary of San Roque
Indispensable element in the identity of this village is the profile that represents the Sanctuary raised in honour of its Patron Saint Roque.
This Sanctuary has a beautiful colonial style and it was constructed from 1579 to 1798 in the exact place where according to tradition the saint appeared.
Climbing the street from the Church of Saint Martin we will get in the Medieval Callosa, with narrow and well planned streets. The slight rise opens the eyes of visitors over roofs and terraces to offer a beautiful panoramic that has granted the name "Balcony of the Vega Baja".
It is a place of frequent worship, where the believer Callosino request San Roque's favours and whose maximum expression is the celebration of brilliant patron festivals from the 12th to August 16.
Traditional events like the Giants and the carnival figure with a large head, parades of coaches, Farolata, Procession, night Processions and farewell ceremony to the Saint, are mixed with the Moors and Christians who have impressive parades.
Near this place are the remains of the castle, fortress of epoch Califal, considered the oldest in the province, of which only some walls stay.
Chapel of Los Dolores
It is placed rising towards the mountain next to the old hospital in the popular Square callosina of Dolores. The construction of this chapel should have been at the end of the 16th century or beginning of the 17th century, being ended in the year 1736.
This chapel was part of the old hospital of poor passers-by in its left angle. With the move of the hospital to the convent of this town, some faithful of the holder, especially the neighbours, formed a congregation that was responsible for the administration under the leadership of the parish priest of Saint Martin. This congregation restored the chapel and acquired many clothes and ornaments.
Chapel of the Rosario
This chapel is seat of the Confraternity of the Rosario of the Aurora, which was founded in the 17th century. In this foundation the Dominicans took part. In 1569 the principal part of the chapel was finished with public worship. In 1695 began important works that ended in 1740. These works provided the aesthetic character of the baroque of the 18th century.
Chapel of the Orden Franciscana
The building consists of a single body in shape of a Latin cross and sacristy. In the last years works of restoration have been realized both in the facade and in the interior, changing its original aspect, but preserving the Franciscan simplicity. In its altar and head, is the sculpture set of San Francisco's Embrace to Our Crucified God, the symbol of the Franciscan doctrinal essence.
Chapel of the Virgen del Pilar
It was founded in 1947 on top of the slope of the mountain, between two ravines. Stand out its white walls finished off by a steeple with bell. This Chapel is a point of confluence of diverse natural routes that pass for the slopes of the Sierra de Callosa de Segura.
Royal Pósito
When the street is opened widely to the Orihuela-Callosa road we find the Royal Pósito of the 17th century that was a former communal store of grains and unique in its genre that stays in the region. It has a beautiful door of masonry and a commemorative stone plaque of 1740.
Castle of Callosa
Located on top of the Saw, in a rocky summit of approximately two hundred meters of altitude, just on the later part of San Roque's current Sanctuary, we find the ruins of the Castle of epoch Califal, of the year 916, this Castle would be the most ancient of the province of Alicante. For his orientation, it looks at Crevillente's plain remaining limited in his communication on that of Orihuela.
It is a type of Castle of elongated form, which south west face is straight of 30 meters and without projections, and the front northwest is staggered.
In its interior there is a cistern that preserves the plaster and the beginning of the vault of half canyon that covered it. The choice of that location so high, rough and difficult to access should have taken as the main reason the defence.
House of Belenista
This house relies on a museum of Nativity scene, where we can enjoy of two floors of biblical scenes of Bethlehem, religious corners hosting popular scenes from Callosa set in births and figures of all places of the world and of the most famous craftsmen of Belthlehem.
Archaeological Museum "Antonio Ballester Ruiz"
It receives the name of the official chronicler of the city where he gathers showcases, panels, photographs etc. And it remains of the prehistoric origins of several epochs:
- Calcolítico (3000-2000 years B.C.) grave goods, tops of sílex.
- The Argar (1800-1200 years B.C.) within the Age of Bronze.
- Cista's Tombs and in urn, halberds of bronze and copper, molds of smelting, mills barquiformes, etc.
- Iberian Culture (centuries V to I B.C.): coins, ceramics, etc.
- Roman Epoch (centuries III to I of our current epoch): Ceramics of called “Terra Sigilada ", glass, coins, amphorae, etc.
- Moslem Epoch (centuries VIIth to XIIIth): Ceramics, coins, etc.
For appointment: 966 75 67 67
Ethnology Museum of Hemp and Garden
It presents the complete cycle of the elaboration of the fibre of the hemp, since it is a seed to turn it into elaborated product (threads, ropes, slippers, etc.) explaining detailed the following labours: plantation, dammed, agramado, espadado, raked, spinning, and the handcrafted transformations of the persons dedicated to this activity.
They may also know numerous objects related to the daily works of the garden, equipment of tillage and cultivation, etc. A typical hut picks up the domestic utensils, popular ceramics and the life of our ancestors. Curiously it preserves the bottles and coins that the former pharmacy municipal or drugstore possessed.
Big panels mention the traditions that lately have been rescued like "Partir la Vieja", "El Farol de Venancio", "Cruces de Mayo" and especially "Demostración Nacional de los Trabajos del Cáñamo", outdoors exhibition realized on August 14 of every year and that recalls the brilliance that this fibre had in other epochs, where come multitude of citizens of neighbouring peoples to contemplate the work, the processes and the trades that there generates this activity, which supposed the form of life of many families until middle of the 20th century.
Holy Week Museum
It was created in order to expose and preserve the magnificent thrones and images that take part during the Holy Week. Images made by the sculptors Jose Noguera, Hurtado Carré, Molera, Girona and the last creations of Paco Liza y José Hernández.
Through the sculptural groups: Oración del Huerto, Flagelación, Nuestro Padre Jesús, Las Marías, La Magdalena, San Juan, Verónica, Calvario, La Cruz, El Entierro y el Resucitado, are known different styles with golden height of the wood, Orrico's silver in the thrones, of the classic model of Salzillo to Hernández's innovative forms.
In the Church of St Martin there is celebrated every Sunday of Lent a representation of the "Passion" declared of National Tourist Interest.
Nativity Play
The popular music of Callosa is intimately linked to the religious area. The Rosary of the Dawn, the Passion, the Pilarica or the Christmas carols, all of these are definitive samples of these manifestations. The interest for the Christmas music, for the Christmas carols, is very important between our older (often not so older) and is possible to affirm that, this attachment for the Christmas canticles, is one of the alive traditions of our city. These musical expressions are intimately tied to such a valued Nativity Play Mass of Callosa de Segura.
Through information transmitted orally by very truthful persons of our locality, it is known that the scores of the "Misa Pastorela" came to Callosa in the 18th century proceeding from Andalusia, more specifically, from Seville. Apparently, a priest from Callosa did a trip to Andalusia and attended at mass in a church of Seville one of the days of the Christmas cycle. He listened to the "Misa Pastorela" that the Sochantre was singing and fascinated him, for what he requested the score and brought it to his return to Callosa.
It was the musical genre that popularly used in most churches: the so-called Canto Llano, which always used the organ of pipes or a harmonium of enough sonority.
Partir la Vieja
This custom, of medieval origin, according to researchers from Elche, has been preserved only in a few places in the province such as Elche, Novelda, Agost, Petrer, Cocentaina or Muchamiel and, in Vega Baja, just in Callosa de Segura. In each of these sites, this tradition has a different name, but everyone agrees to put some life-size toys or “viejotes”, made with homemade materials, most often with a poster on a critical topic, and with the same objective: the popular celebration of the half the rigid time of Lent and the proximity of its end.
The Passion
"The Passion" of Callosa de Segura is an Eucharistic play that put in scene in its modern form in 1969, the Artistic Association (group of theatre amateur founded in Callosa in the'50s). There were gathered a series of contemplative scenes of the old "Crown mortified", since then called "Cuadros Plásticos" embedded in a libretto by Juan Bautista Pont, which had been represented sporadically from the 30s, for several groups of theatre amateur of the city, being located in the differents theatres that existed in Callosa de Segura.
Since 1969 it was started representing every year, for Holy Week, touring diverse stages of the city. It managed to be represented, winning the prize to the Best Representation in Scene, in the Provincial Contest of Theatre of Alicante in the year 1974.
When the mentioned Artistic Group stated the relevancy that, in the city and out of it the representations had acquired, this promoted a series of meetings with diverse groups of the Callosa de Segura, with the Bishopric of Orihuela-Alicante and with the own Town hall of the locality, agreeing to constitute between all, for his protection and maintenance, a patronage that was guarding over its future. Since the Patronage was founded, always in collaboration with the Town hall, began the effective promotion, moving the representations to the central nave of the Archpriestal Church of St Martin, in the year 1980, which meant an important improvement of the scenic framework, and since 1990 is represented on the stage of the Auditorium of the Municipal Arts Centre "Reina Sofia".
In the year 1982, there took place the most important event that allowed to enlarge, even more, the relevancy of these representations, requesting and obtaining of the Department of Culture and Tourism, the Declaration of Tourist Interest of "The Passion" of Callosa de Segura.
Holy Week
Declared of Local, Cultural and Tourist Interest, the Holy Week of Callosa de Segura is much more than a succession to parades, steps and brothers; much more than a social phenomenon in which thousands and thousands of persons take part; it is the major manifestation of the Popular Religiousness of this city.
It combines factors of all kinds: artistic, historical, cultural, anthropological, musical, etc.. That do not have raison d’être without the celebration of the mysteries of the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The elements described above, joined with the quality and quantity of processional households that have accumulated over the years, do that the putting in the street of the Holy Week of Callosa de Segura is an scene of exuberant art full of colour and majesty, which we can enjoy.
The origins of the Holy Week of Callosa are joined to the religious history of the municipality, which begins in the 13th century, though it was at the beginning of the 15th century, in 1411, when with San Vicente Ferrer, the first passional manifestations could appear with the devotion to the "Presiosa" or "Vera Sangre of Cristo"; though they start acquiring its major expression with the arrival, and creation, of the Convent of Padres Alcantarinos Descalzos in 1585.
These Franciscan fathers could spread on the village their special devotions towards the passionate celebrations expressed through brotherhoods or religious acts. Of their constancy take the name streets and squares as those of the Vía Crucis (popularly of the Steps) and the Calvary.
With the Civil war chattels and images get lost, later, to be consolidated by the existing ones and new others being created.
There come the first "Capuchinos", which is known here as the Nazarene or penitent and large processions are formed and carry many days, which does that the Major Meeting of Brotherhoods being founded, in 1954. From here, the Holy Week of Callosa de Segura has been acquiring increasingly importance to the point of which, nowadays, it is considered one of the most important of the province of Alicante
More InformationSinging of the Passion
This singing is joined to the prayer of the Steps. They date back of 1598, when our venerable Juana Ángela Godoy García 1556-1622 (popularly called by the proper Alcantarinos "Over-pious woman") that belonged to the V.O.T. (Venerable Third Order today Franciscan Secular Order from June 24, 1978) seeing as in Lent the Alcantarinos Fathers realized these practices of the prayer of the Steps and the Singing of the Passion, she proposed them to do them out of the Convent.
To pray the Steps, you was leaving for an adjacent arch that was leading to the current street Via Crucis (known as street of the Steps) that was slope of the mountain at this time, and was travelled up to a park full of almond-trees where there were represented the last stations of the Vía Crucis that date back to Jesus' death (and precisely, for this motive, this park is called "The Calvary"). Later they were returning to the convent for the same way that they had raised.
The prayer of the Steps, from 1598, was done during the whole Lent, and the Singing of the Passion during the Week of Passion and the Holy Week (up to Holy Wednesday inclusive dates in that the Lent ended and began the Triduo Pascual). Around the year 1765, when already they were celebrating the Bajada de la Dolorosa the Friday of Passion (nowadays called also "Friday of Pain") and following the tradition that has come to us, this Friday of Pain became the starting date of the Singing of the Passion. Since 1940, the descent of the Virgin was moved to the fifth Friday of Lent and this was the new start date of the Singing, as we do it nowadays.
The first score, we have dates from 1955. This song is a jewel, which recounts the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.
The Singings of passions represent a custom that, over the years, has been vanishing in good part of the region and that, thanks to the interest to preserve this tradition in some families from Callosa has been kept in our municipality at present.
The people from Callosa that take part in these singings walk the streets of the locality and intone in diverse points their songs full of tradition and antiquity. They are heard by the neighbours principally from their houses, though sometimes, there are many who enjoy the event in the streets.
Cross of May
This tradition is the placement of a cross of flowers and willow branches in the windows, balconies, courtyards, etc.. In the houses of the most important streets in the town before the May 3, in which, at dawn, a popular procession entertained with the singing of the auroros and chaired by a grate cross of May, goes from the monumental temple of Saint Martin to the esplanade of San Roque’s Chapel from where you can see almost the whole district, Intoning the Litany of Saints, for the Blessing of the Terms and the Cross of May. The different neighbourhoods and streets that compete in order that their crosses are the most beautiful and showy.
This tradition spread throughout the Vega del Segura linked to the pagan tradition of Roman times, The exaltation of the spring equinox in which a dry trunk was redressed in vegetables and flowers and which the tradition christens substituted for the log of the Cross as symbol of the revival on the old thing, and this, added the tradition of the find of Christ's Santa Cruz for Holy Elena, mother of the Emperor Constantino, on May 3, did that this celebration was doing to itself in this date.
Local Festivities
The Festivities of Callosa de Segura, in honour of its span class="azul">Patrón Saint Roque, are commencing on August 5 of each year, continuing until the 16th of this month.
The people from Callosa receive with immense joy the awaited epoch of the local festivities with singular acts, where the visitors verify in first hand our hospitality, in moments of full scattering. All the neighbours of the locality are involved with these festivities with an environment of confraternity.
It consists of the acts that are described as follow:
Raise of the "Farolico de Venancio" On August 5 with that begin our local festivities.- The "Novenica" to San Roque, liturgical act like sample of devotion of the people from Callosa that officially is celebrated from the 5th to August 13, but is difficult to rise at any hour to San Roque's sanctuary without seeing any devout one with the book of the ninth one, reciting it before the window of the principal door, which gives sight to San Roque's image.
It will be a few times to ask for some grace or favour. Others to be grateful for the received. But always, as expression or testimony of the deep, sincere devotion that all them feel with their Patron Saint. - August 9 is the Cry of Holidays. The Square of Spain receives this act in which is proclaimed officially the beginning of the Local Festivities.
- August 11 is the Hoisting and Honouring to the Flag, emotive and traditional act.
- On August 14 there takes place the National Demonstration of the Handcrafted Works of the Hemp, as well as the Multicoloured Parade, the Farolata Infantil and the Traditional Dawn.
- The floral offering to San Roque is on August 11 and the retreat is celebrated On August 12. The parades of Moors and Christians are the 13th and 15th of Augusts.
The Holidays of Moors and Christians began in Callosa de Segura in the year 1977 and, from its beginnings, it has been characterized for being a holiday in the one that is recalled epoch of the Reconquest, with the commemoration and organization of a few parades in that the participants are divide in two decrees, Moors and Christians dressed in agreement to the medieval epoch of every culture. Every decree is formed by extras and rows.
The itinerary of the general parades begins in the Walk of the Station up to ending in the Avenue of the Constitution.
The decree Moor turns out to be represented by Benimerines, Abd-Al-Azíes and the Sarracenos, whereas the Christian decree is represented by the Estudiantes, Corsarios, Contrabandistas, Caballeros del Cid and Huertanos.
More Information
Association of Moors and Christians San Roque
- On August 16 stand out the San Roque's procession and the Farewell the Saint.
Farolata
It consists of a civic pilgrimage starring the children of the locality, accompanied by all his family, brothers, parents, grandparents, etc.., carry a cane of which end hanging of colourful Chinese-lantern dimly lit by candlelight.
The tour passes from the Square of Spain or the Church up to the garden circus. The Farolata is headed by "the charamita" decked of typical suit making sound his flageolet and drum, to whose sounds the "giants pass and pigheaded".
The origins and antiquity are unknown, but the elders remember it of their childhood. With enough probability they can be reminiscences of the big holidays celebrated in 1798 to commemorate the inauguration of the new Chapel of the Patron Saint Roque, in that the population was taking part with lanterns in the acts to be lit.
Holidays of the garden
The celebration of the same takes place during the months of May, last week of August and early September. They arose for the need to break the monotony of daily routine in the rural districts of the town, with fun and festive activities.
They are characterized by the features and elements that form the Bando de la Huerta of Murcia. In recent years, has tried to collect the customs and traditions typically of the garden in order to rejoin the festivities of the area, obtaining a success, thanks to the influx of visitors that, year after year are taking place.
D We can emphasize from the holidays of the diverse neighbourhood from Callosa the correspondents to the rural neighbourhoods, overcoat the holidays corresponding to the neighbourhoods of:
- Celebrations in Honour of Ntra. Sra. de Fátima, in the district of Camino Almajal, held on two weekends around May 13.
- Festivities in honour of the Virgen de los Dolores, in the district of los Dolores, held from 21 to August 26.
- Festivities in honour of the Holy Family in the district of San Jose, held from August 27 to September 3.
- District of Callosa or Virgen del Camino, on September 8th.
Pilgrimage of Pilar
The Virgen del Pilar has deep-rooted in Callosa de Segura despite not being the patron saint of the city, and is venerated in a shrine in the heart of the Saw of Callosa, in a place known as "La Pilarica".
This pilgrimage, which started in 1947, is celebrated on October 12, during the festivities in honour of the Virgen del Pilar in the neighbourhood that takes the same name. In it, the Pilar’s image is moved from the church of Saint Martin to its sanctuary, accompanied by hundreds of neighbours. The event takes place between songs and jotas using the most varied pyrotechnics. In the same way it is returned at night to his room of the temple.
This is a day in which there are many acts of folklore, social and religious character, and where the streets turn into a scene of colour and devotion to the Virgen del Pilar.
During the celebration of this holiday, there is a big tradition that brings thousands of people in the Saw, where they spend a day between meals fun, lunch and snacks.
Singings of the Aurora
The Singings of the Aurora, it is one of the principal signs of identity of our locality, being a tradition very estimated in Callosa de Segura. Its origin is on October 7, 1571, day that takes place Lepanto's battle. The Pope, Pío V orders that all the catholic parishes should pray the saint Rosario while the fight is celebrated. In gratefulness for the victory of that battle, the Pope fixes in this date a holiday in honour to the holiest Virgin.
The group of auroros from Callosa could be defined as a corporation by musical groups and coral, composed, in its origins, by voices exclusively of men, who gather a precious religious, musical, poetical and historical legacy. Currently, before the fall in the number of auroros, nowadays also women can sing to reinforce the masculine voices.
This group of people from Callosa gives life to the night exits that are being made, for centuries, every first Sunday of month and religious holidays. Lighted by a lantern they cross streets, squares and paths of the garden in the silence of the night, which they break on having intoned deep voices accompanied of the touch of a bell on canticles of praise to God and to Santa Maria the Virgin.