History
The pilgrimage site was realised in the 15th century. The church and monastery were built on the remains of an old castle.
On 31 August 1484, the church of Saint Mary went up in flames and the statue of Mary disappeared. It goes through a window of the church and ends up in the old castle of Santa Bárbara. The next day, a one-armed shepherd, on the ruins of the Muslim castle in Agres, finds the statue of Mary. On this day, 1 September 1484, in the morning, the statue of Mary is back and the shepherd has suddenly got his missing arm back. It is a gift from Our Lady. This becomes known in the region and devotion to the statue of Mary increases.
In 1578, the Franciscan friars arrived at the convent of the sanctuary in Agres.
Pilgrimage site
The church and monastery are located south of Agres, on a ridge; a rocky spur of the Sierra Mariola mountain range. The pilgrimage site stands on a rocky spur on the northern slope of a mountain range named Sierra Mariola.
The pilgrimage site is called the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Agres and also the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Castle. The route goes steeply uphill, as the pilgrimage site is located on a steep hill.
The festivities in honour of the “Maid of the Castle” are usually celebrated on the first weekend of September.
ACCESSIBILITY
The pilgrimage site is located in the Alicante region.
The address is: Racó del Convent, 03837 Agres.
More information can be found at www.agres.es/santuario.
Experience
From the start of the village, I walk about a kilometre up a steep hill to reach the pilgrimage site. In the town, several flags and cloths refer to the appearance of Mary to a shepherd in the 15th century. This certainly enhances the atmosphere for reaching the apparition site of Our Lady.
It's quiet here on this Sunday afternoon. Only one cafe has a few guests on its terrace.
When I arrive about 100 metres from my destination, there are a few dozen people who also want to go to the “Santuario”. A bit further up a steeper path and I reach the last station of the cross, which started meters back. Then I stand before a closed, heavy gate. No one is allowed in here now. A few others are also standing here and cannot go any further. I go to get information and some Spaniards, who can also speak a little English, tell me that I should have been here a few hours earlier. The pilgrimage site is only open for visits on Saturday and Sunday mornings. This information is in stark contrast to the opening hours on the site's website, and I had accounted for that information. Afterwards, I go to another entrance gate, but that is also closed, unfortunately. Not a sign with information in sight. Then it's just a matter of taking some photos.
It's a place of pilgrimage in decline here. No effort is made to inform visitors. Sloppiness? Negligence? Ignorance? Unfriendliness? Arrogance? I'll just put it down to “not thought about.” What a shame that potential visitors are treated like this. I imagine there are still a few old brothers here who don't know the internet and are rarely helped with their website.
For future visits to smaller pilgrimage sites, I plan to consult the local or regional tourist office, or send an early request for further information to the Marian shrine. After that, it's a case of hoping for a timely response. But that's no use to me now. I'm taking photos of the beautiful view. Look, being able to experience this is a real boost!
After experiencing a closed pilgrimage site, I'm heading back to the village with the intention of going to the only pub to order a non-alcoholic drink. After hours of driving and going up and down a steep hill, I'm definitely in need of a drink. Unfortunately, the pub is closing and the last customers are leaving. The barman tells me he can't help me. There are just those kinds of days when things don't go your way...
Environment
The distance to the city of Alicante is 80 km and to Valencia it is 100 km. The town of Murcia is 145 km from Agres.
Posted: 22 November 2023
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