The small church of Monte Calvario in La Copa de Bullas

The church receives pilgrims visiting the figure of San Anton every January

In the outlying district of La Copa, which lies some three kilometres to the north of the town of Bullas, there are two churches. One of these is the main building dedicated to Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, which stands in the middle of the small town, and the other is the relatively recently reconstructed church of Monte Calvario, in the Calvario district of the eastern side of the town.

In this district there is an area of raised ground on which it is known that a church was first built in 1899 to mark the final stop on a “Vía Crucis” which was held every Easter Week. This explains the name given to the district (Calvary), and it is also on record that the little church housed a cross, a cloth, a washing bowl and a sponge, all of them items which are associated with the crucifixion of Christ. 

The church was little more than a rectangular room of rudimentary design and construction, and it fell victim to the violence of the Civil War in 1936. However, in 1996 it was reconstructed, and this is the structure which can be visited today. 

Inside is a figure representing San Antón, and every year on 17th January, the Saint’s feast day, locals take part in a Romería up the hill with their pets so that the animals can receive a blessing from the Saint. This is because among the many categories of which San Antón (or San Antonio Abad) is patron, including amputees, brush-makers, basket weavers, grave diggers and skin diseases, he is best known for being the protector of animals. 

For more local news, events and other information about visiting Bullas, go to the Bullas municipality section of Murcia Today.