Santuario Virgen de la Esperanza

Santuario Virgen de la Esperanza is a sanctuary built inside a rock cave on the banks of the Segura River, about 6 kilometres from Calasparra. The cave was known in the Middle Ages as Fuensanta — named after a natural spring whose water still seeps through the stone ceiling today. According to legend, a shepherd found a small statue of the Virgin here; when the townspeople tried to carry it to Calasparra, the statue became impossibly heavy — a sign, they believed, that it was meant to stay. The sanctuary houses two figures of the Virgin — the Large and the Small — venerated together since at least 1786. The site lies within the Canonaverosa nature reserve, among the river and pine-covered hills, and draws pilgrims and visitors throughout the year.