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September 8 Romeria de Santa María de la Cabeza in Yecla

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The saintly María Toribia was the wife of San Isidro and is revered in Yecla

September 8 Romeria de Santa María de la Cabeza in Yecla The annual romería to mark the feast day of Santa María de la Cabeza takes place in Yecla this year on Sunday 8th September, with the procession beginning at 18.00 at the Teatro Concha Segura.

The group then makes its way to the church of San Isidro, where at 19.00 a musical Mass will be held with the participation of the Grupo Folclórico Arabí and the Peñas, Reinas, Damas and Federación de Peñas de San Isidro.

San Isidro “El Labrador”, the patron of agriculture and farmers, is widely revered in Yecla and his feast day is celebrated on 15^th May. He was a Spanish peasant farmer in the 11^th century and María Toribia, his wife, died in 1175 and is known as Santa María de la Cabeza ("Saint Mary of the Head"). She hailed originally from the province of Guadalajara and later lived with Isidoro in the region of Madrid, bearing a son, Illan.

September 8 Romeria de Santa María de la Cabeza in Yecla One day the boy is said to have fallen down a well and his parents began to pray as they could not rescue him, but miraculously, the water level rose and the baby was easily rescued unharmed. The couple then devoted themselves to sexual abstinence as a form of devotion and lived apart.

Another story is similar to Jesus feeding the 5,000, with a stew pot miraculously refilling itself when unexpected guests arrived at her home. María is most often depicted, like her husband, holding agricultural tools such as a sickle or a rake.

Image 1: Diocesis of Málaga

For more local visiting information, events and news go to the home page of Yecla Today.

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Oficina de Turismo de Yecla

In early 2025, due to renovation work at the usual office, the service is located on the other side of the Plaza Mayor at Calle Epifanio Ibáñez nº 2 (click for map).

Yecla Tourist Office Yecla is a large municipality in the north of the Region of Murcia, home to just under 35,000 people, and these days is best known for its wines, which enjoy Denomination of Origin status, and its furniture production, which has its origins in the abundance of pine trees on the mountainsides and the high plateaux.

Yecla Tourist Office While visitors in the 21st century may be attracted primarily by wine tourism, the town (or city, as it was proclaimed in 1878) also has a wide historical, cultural and natural heritage, and an identity quite different from the coastal areas of the Region of Murcia. For this reason it is often grouped together with its neighbour and fellow wine-producing area Jumilla as part of the Altiplano area.

Yecla borders with Castilla-La Mancha and the Region of Valencia and is closer to Alicante coastal areas than much of Murcia. These visitors come to see the historic old town itself - an atmospheric and interesting place, crammed full of history - the natural beauty of Monte Arabí, with stunning views for those who enjoy the outdoors, the gastonomy and of course the wine route.

Yecla Tourist Office Yecla boasts cave paintings from 10,000 years ago in Monte Arabí, a Bronze Age settlement at El Arabilejo, Iberian remains in El Pulpillo and a Roman administrative centre at Los Torrejones as well as the remnants of the 11th century Moorish castle on the hill behind the town. More modern (and complete) testimony to the past are the buildings in the town centre, which include the grandiose Basílica de la Purísima, with its striking blue dome, the archaeological museum and the attractive Plaza Mayor, where the 16th century Town Hall stands alongside the Renaissance Casa de los Alarcos, the clock tower and the old grain store.

Yecla Tourist Office The tourist office holds a full selection of leaflets, maps, pre-planned routes, accommodation and restaurant options and information about visiting Yecla for both individuals and groups.