Plaza del Calvario

Streets - Outskirts

"El Calvario" is an emblematic district of Santa Pola situated in one of the highest areas of the town. In 1967, the families who lived in the Castle moved to the state-subsidized housing of this district. This fishing quarter stands out because of its chapel, built in Mauresque style at the beginning of the 20th century and which houses the Virgen de la Piedad (Piety Virgin). The chapel stands at the end of the Calvary after a whole composed of the 14 Stations of the Cross. In the Middle Ages, many towns used to have a Calvary with its corresponding “via crucis”, as a visual catechism. In order to show their faith, the inhabitants chose a promontory on the outskirts of the village and erected a chapel at its summit. During the processions, the Via Crucis retinue set off from the church, went through the Plaza Mayor (Main Square) and followed the Calvario street that led to the start of the stations, where the mysteries were prayed while ascending slowly up to the chapel. Thanks to all these elements, we can date the Calvary back to 1850. Moreover, this little chapel, which went through a century of epidemics, would change its appearance during those moments of religious fervour experienced by the Spanish society in the 40’s, just after the Spanish Civil War. The current silhouette dates back to 1944.