Museo Parroquial San Javier

An interesting little museum within the parroquial church of San Francisco Javier

Parroquia San Francisco Javier

Plaza de la Iglesia (Calle Luis Garay, 6, 30730)

San Javier 

Telephone 968 571 085 

The Museo Parroquial de San Javier is located within the Church of San Francisco Javier (Parroquía San Francisco Javier) and was inaugurated in 1998, fruit of the efforts of D. José Ballester Esparza and Dª Ana Díez Moreno, both teachers from the Colegio Joaquín Carrión Valverde.

The museum contains a number of pieces donated to the church or which formerly belonged to the church, and is well worth visiting if you're in the vicinity.

Exhibits within the museum relate principally to the religious activities carried out within the church ranging from 17th century embroidered robes to sculptures, pilgrimage tokens and memorabilia, historical documents and miscellaneous pieces linked to the history of San Javier.

In addition, a collection of miscellaneous religious articles and sculptures have been amassed, including a 16th century cross, a tiny miniature belen made in Africa at the beginning of the 20th century, distinctive chins on the figures and characteristically african animals, but with a true simplicity of form which makes it a characterful piece of naive art, along with simple tokens of faith and sculptural pieces, all crammed into the back of the church.

And don't forget to climb the stairs at the back of the room, enjoying a view down over the church in the company of the saint himself from the Camarín.

It really is worth a visit if you're going to San Javier, or if you have any interest in the religious patrimony of the Region of Murcia, a little known museum.

Throughout the Christmas period the plaza outside of the church is filled with the "Belén monumental", a huge nativity scene with a truly "Murcian huertano" feel to it. The church itself hosts a belén and usually holds an exhibition related to the tradition of displaying beléns during the festive period.

Opening Times

Tuesday to Saturday 10.30am to 1.30pm

Admission free (but visitors are invited to leave a donation, which helps to cover ongoing costs.)

A little history of the Church itself 

At the beginning of the 17th century the area which now includes San Javier was scarcely populated, a small number of families carrying out fishing and agricultural activities, threatened all the time by the menace of Berber Pirates who harassed them and stole their crops and animals.

The area had been inhabited by a succession of cultures, and since the Middle Ages had been undergoing a slow repopulation, with Christianity the dominant religion by this point in time. In the early 17th century, the residents decided to build a hermitage, and set out to construct a small hermitage in honour of San Francisco Javier, a saint associated with the healing of fevers and illnesses caused by the proximity to marshes and swamps. At this time the area was considerably wetter than it is today, hence the dedication of the hermitage to this saint.

The hermitage was built in roughly the same position as the current church, at the crossroads which linked the former Roman road which ran right along the Mediterranean coastline, from Cadíz right across France and into Italy, joining with the main road which ran to the coast from Murcia capital.

Around this hermitage, a cluster of houses formed, which gradually spread to incorporate the hamlet of La Calavera and attracted populations from the Cabezo Gordo.

In 1698 the Bishop, don Francisco Fernández Angulo converted the hermitage of San Francisco to a Parroquia and in 1699 works began to build the new church of San Javier which exists today, works being completed in 1787.

During the Spanish Civil war, the church came under attack and was set on fire. The interior was filled with flames, putting the stability of the church at risk, and a great deal of the interior decoration and historical statues were destroyed.

The majority of the church and municipal records were also destroyed in the blaze, although residents did manage to save some of the artworks from the fire.

The Church has undergone a complete restoration, and the sculptures rescued from the fire have been restored, and replacements made for those which were lost.

One of the most beautiful pieces is Christ crucified, on the right hand wall entering the church. This was one of the pieces which was pulled out of the fire by a local lady who hid it in her home until after the war, when it was returned to the church. It is slightly darkened by the effects of the flames, but is a magnificent piece, made by an anonymous artist at the end of the 16th century, beginning of the 17th century and is fully articulated, so that it can be laid down for use in processions or hung on a cross as it is displayed now.

San José was also rescued from the fire and underwent two restoration procedures to bring him to his current glory.

Sadly, the church had held sculptures by the great master sculptor, Salzillo, due to the patronage of the Riquelme family who owned land in the municipality, but these were lost in the fire.

San Francisco Javier

San Francisco Javier was a missionary Jesuit priest who lived between 1506 and 1552, and was best known for his missionary works in the Far East. For 10 years he preached throughout India and Japan, converting thousands to the Christian faith. He died in 1552 on the island of Sanchon Sancian, at the gates of China.

He was known as the "gigante de la historia de las misiones", the giant of missionary history, and was named by Pope Pius X as the official patron of overseas missionaries. His history makes extraordinary reading, battling with illness, and adversity, as he worked his way through India, China, Japan and Africa preaching and converting, he really was an extraordinary man.

He was canonised in 1622.

Click for more information about the San Javier municipality: SAN JAVIER TODAY