Alicante Architecture

Santa Faz Monastery

Santa Faz Monastery, Alicante, Spain

Address: Plaza Luis Foglietti

Opening hours:

Monday	17.00 - 20.00
Tuesday to Saturday	08.00 - 13.00 / 17.00 - 20.00
Sundays	08.00 - 13.00

Phone number: (+34) 965264912

This baroque style monastery with a pyramid shaped dome is located in the Santa Faz district of Alicante.

This building has an important place in history because as the story goes in 1489 a piece of fabric was brought over from the Vatican and this is part of the the veil with which Saint Veronica dried the bleeding face of Jesus on the cross. According to tradition, the image of Christ's face was imprinted on the cloth when Saint Veronica wiped His face with it as He carried His Cross to Calvary. The Santa Faz relic is kept in a special room behind the main altarpiece secure in a safe, 4 keys are needed to open it and these are held by different city organizations.

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You can see from the video below how beautiful and intricate the building is.

A Miracle

It has been claimed that in the 15th Century when a drought beset Alicante the people prayed in the presence of the Veil and a tear fell from the canvas. Days later it rained. This was the start of the pilgrimage to Santa Faz, the objective being to say thank you for events in the past year.

This building is now the main focus in the pilgrimage to Santa Faz.

Every year, usually on the second Thursday after Easter Sunday thousands of Alicante residents now make the pilgrimage to Santa Faz. Between 200,000 and 300,000 people walk the 8km between San Nicholas Cathedral and the Santa Faz Monastery. The N332 - N340 is closed to allow for this. This is Spain's second largest pilgrimage.

Santa Faz Pilgrimage, Alicante, Spain

The pilgrims start their day early. Most wear a black smock and a cravat. Some don't wear any footwear. They follow a cross and they observe 'stops' along the way where they are given local wine and homemade rolls.

After they arrive at the monastery the room where the veil is kept is opened. There is then a religious service and candles are lit. Afterwards the festive atmosphere continues with picnics and market stalls.