Caravaca de la Cruz es un municipio español situado al oeste de la Región de Murcia, capital y centro administrativo de la comarca del Noroeste y cabeza del Partido Judicial de Caravaca de la Cruz. La población del municipio es de 26.415 habitantes (INE 2012), y su extensión es de 859,51 km². Caravaca de la Cruz es un lugar de referencia para el culto de la Iglesia católica ya que desde 1998, dura
nte el papado de Juan Pablo II, está catalogada como una de las cinco ciudades santas de esta confesión religiosa1 al disponer del privilegio de celebrar Año Jubilar a perpetuidad cada siete años en torno a la Santísima y Vera Cruz de Caravaca. El primero de ellos tuvo lugar en 2003 y contó con la visita del Cardenal Ratzinger, posteriormente elegido como papa con la denominación de Benedicto XVI. Por esta circunstancia, y por el propio nombre del Municipio, también se la conoce como "La Ciudad de la Cruz". Además de ser conocida por la reliquia cristiana y su bello Casco Antiguo de origen medieval, lo es también por las Fiestas Patronales en Honor a la misma, celebradas entre los días 1 y 5 de mayo de cada año, declaradas de Interés Turístico Internacional en 2004. Junto a las procesiones y desfiles de Moros y Cristianos, es especialmente relevante el festejo de los Caballos del Vino, que en la actualidad aspira a ser declarado Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad por la Unesco.
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Caravaca de la Cruz (or simply and more commonly Caravaca) is a town and municipality of southeastern Spain in the province of Murcia, near the left bank of the River Argos, a tributary of the Segura. This city is the capital of the northwest Region of Murcia. It has a population of 26,449 as of 2010 (INE). In 1900 it had 15,846 inhabitants. It is the Fifth Holy City of Catholic Christianity, having been granted the privilege to celebrate the jubilee year in perpetuity in 1998 by the then Pope John Paul II), along with Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela and Camaleño (Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana). It celebrates its jubilee every seven years; the first being in 2003, when it was visited by the then Cardinal Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI. In 2010 was celebrated the second jubilee, and it surpassed the one million mark of visits received in 2003. Festivities of International Tourist Interest since 2004. Caravaca is dominated by the medieval Castle of Santa Cruz, and contains several convents and a fine parish church, with a miraculous cross celebrated for its healing power, in honor of which a yearly festival is held on the 3 May. Caravaca is home to many monuments and museums, many of which are important tourist attractions. The hills which extend to the north are rich in marble and iron. The town is a considerable industrial centre, with large iron-works, tanneries and manufactories of paper, chocolate and oil. Besides being known by the Christian relic, it is also the festivity in honor of it, held between 1 and 5 May of each year, declared of International Tourist Interest in 2004. Along with processions and parades of Moors and Christians, is especially relevant the celebration of Horses of Wine, which now aspires to be the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
