Iglesia del Convento de la Purísima Mazarrón

Mazarrón Church of the Convento de la Purísima

16th-18th century Iglesia del convento de la Purísima

The Convento de la Purísima is located in the heart of the old town of Mazarrón, overlooking the main market square which formerly housed the Plaza de Abastos, marketplace.

It's not clear when the cult of the Virgen de la Concepción began in Mazarrón, the first recorded evidence being a book written in 1756, published by Fray Ginés García which records the founding of a Cofradía under its title in 1549.

The book says that the existing hermitage was extended the year after this, which indicates that there was some sort of religious structure on the site before this date, although what form it took is not known.

The more substantial amplification of the church was completed by 1565 and it is known that a sculpture of the Virgen was acquired between 1565 and 1573 to replace the old one and a new "Hospital" was also constructed by Franciscan monks, which later became a convent.

This co-incided with Mazarrón achieving its independence from Lorca in 1572.

The church is closely connected to a highly significant event known as the Miracle of La Purísima, which took place in Mazarrón on 17th November 1585, at the end of the sixteenth century.

This event is commemorated annually on the 17th November, the day on which the Virgen de la Purísima saved the town of Mazarrón from Berber Pirate attack.

At this point in its history, Mazarrón was a mining town , its residents working in the mines, farming the surrounding fields, in the salt salinas, or working in the fishing industry.

Across the waters lay Africa, and this whole coastline was subject to frequent attack, the pirates carrying off villagers to ransom or sell in the slave markets, livestock and anything which could be sold, including crops.

This is well documented, the watchtowers of the Torre de los Caballos  and the Torre de la Cala del Moro Santo just part of a chain of lookout points along the regional coast to warn of attack.

One document relates that in May of 1573 the fishing boats were stolen and in December of the same year 25 boats are recorded as having menaced the coast, all the townspeople hiding in caves were found and taken away.

In 1585, the event known as the Miracle of Mazarrón took place. On 17th November Berber pirates sailed to the coast to attack Mazarrón in an expedition was headed by the famous pirate Morato Arráez, legendary across the Region for his incursions and attacks. This same man is the centre of the Berbers Fiestas which take place in Los Alcázares each year, and on board his ship was a man called Mami, who had once worked in Mazarrón but was now working as a servant to the pirate.

Legend says that the first step of the miracle of the Virgin of the Purisima was his intervention, his act of persuading the Captain to hold back from a full attack, and send out a scouting party, because of the good treatment he had received when working in Mazarron.

Stage 2 occurred when the scouting party approached the village, creeping up as men sat outside playing cards. Miraculously as they played, the evening bells rang out, announcing the sunset and fall of night, but for a reason no-one has ever managed to explain, that night the wrong bell rope was pulled and the alarm signal rang, alerting the town to the approach of pirates.

The cardplayers leapt to their feet, one man shouting out in frustration that he had 14 horses, a term that apparently was significant to the card players, but which lead the muslim invaders to assume that a mounted force had anticipated their attack and that 14 horsemen awaited them , intent on slaughter, so rushed back to the beach.

At this point, a woman appeared on the beach, radiating light, arms raised to the heavens, a spectacle which terrorized the scouts to such an extent that they fled from the beach, throwing their arms into the sea and the boat sailed away from the waters of Mazarron, saving the village from certain pillage and probable destruction. 

The villagers went to the hermitage of the Concepcion to give thanks for their delivery and realized to their amazement that the lamp shining out next to the statue of the Virgin shone without oil, that the head of the Virgin was turned towards the sea, and her robe was wet with seawater and peppered with sand.

Many testified to having seen this miraculous event, and this was borne out years later when white flowers mysteriously bloomed on the beach, announcing to all that there had indeed been a miracle in Bolnuevo.

Each year the Virgen is carried from her hermitage into Mazarron, then returned in triumph to Bolnuevo. It´s an extremely popular Romeria for both spanish and ex-pats alike, thousands gathering on the beach following the Romeria to enjoy a barbeque and relaxing afternoon.

Click for report following the 2010 Romeria, Bolnuevo, Fiestas del Milagro.

During the course of history there have been 5 different images of the Virgen in this Mazarrón hermitage.

The first was replaced during the chapel expansion in around 1565, and this second Virgen is the one who performed the miracle. Inside the church today is a glass case containing what is said to have been the bandera of the virgen when the miracle occurred, a few fragments of worn silk.

This image remained in the chapel through subsequent expansions in the 18th century, the original chapel absorbed within the new structure, all that remains today of the original building being the exquisitely painted Camarín of the Virgen in which the current image is now housed.

This second image was destroyed in the Civil War, burnt in 1937.

It was temporarily replaced by another Virgen in 1939.

In 1940 the 4th Virgen, sculptured by Anastasia Martínez was made, purchased by donations and this remained in the church until 1949 when it was transferred to the Ermita at Bolnuevo, to be replaced by the current sculpture.

The church also plays an important ròle in the Semana Santa processions of Easter week, holding the tallas which are paraded through the streets during the celebrations of Holy Week, and to celebrate this link, there's a sculpture of a Nazareno, wearing the pointed capirote of the penitent,  in the gardens next to the church.

It's a beautifully painted church, a tranquil and peaceful setting and well worth visiting if you´re in Mazarrón when it´s open. You´ll always find the doors unlocked on a Saturday morning when the weekly market is taking place in Mazarrón in the Plaza in front of the church.

Mass times

This does vary from season to season, but is usually only held in the Church on a Saturday evening, the main masses in the town being celebrated in San Andrés.

Winter (October to Easter ) this is 7pm

Summer 8pm ( incuding September) and during high summer (July and August) is 9pm.

However, we strongly advise phoning to double check if making a special journey, the Parroquia number being 968 592 302. 

Click for map, Plaza del Convento Mazarrón