The small town of Monteagudo stands just a few kilometres to the North east of the city of Murcia on the N-340 towards Orihuela. Whilst the town itself is nothing out of the ordinary, it is dominated by a ruined castle topped by the largest statue of Jesus Christ in the whole of Spain. It is so big that you simply cannot fail to notice it if you are in the area.

By garnata – murcia, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1883852

In 1926, father and son Anastasio and Nicolás Martínez built a statue of Christ on this very spot. It was 10m high and took 14 months to complete. It lasted a mere decade though, as it was destroyed at the start of the Spanish Civil War.
In 1951 a new statue was constructed: the work of that very same son, Nicolás. This time it rose a huge 14m high making it the largest such statue in Spain. It’s a record that still stands today. Well over half a century on and it is an image that has become synonymous with the Murcian landscape.

By Cmartinezmtez – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43521432

It is not possible to climb up to the statue today as it is unsafe to do so and the access routes are fenced off. Instead, you can visit the Monteagudo Visitor Centre alongside the San Cayetano church at the foot of the hill. This has been built to allow you to explore the history of the hill, its prehistoric roots and Islamic foundations. Closed on Mondays, it welcomes visitors Tuesday to Saturday 09:30 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 19:30, and Sundays 10:00 – 14:00.

If you have enjoyed this blog and want to know more about visiting the city of Murcia, take a look at our Murcia City Guide.

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