Patron Saint Festivities of the Virgin of the Castle

The festival dates back to the 17th century and its most notable events include the Virgin being taken out of and then returned to the Sanctuary.

Yecla, in Murcia, commemorates the Virgen del Castillo festivities at the start of December. The procession with the image of the patron saint, on the 8th, is the culminating moment of these festivities. The roar of the arquebuses (an ancient firearm that is fired by lighting a fuse with gunpowder) is a constant feature of the parade as well as many of the celebrations whose origins date back to 1642. That year, a group of soldiers, upon returning home safe and sound after participating in the war, climbed up to the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo in a sign of thanks.