At the end of the 15th century, specifically on March 17, 1489, the tranquil surroundings of the Barranco de Lloixa, between the towns of Sant Joan d’Alacant and Alicante, witnessed an event that, for centuries, resonated strongly in the collective memory of the region.
Santa Faz of Alicante: Faith, History, and the Miracle That Shaped a Community
During that time, a persistent drought ravaged the fields, and fears loomed over the harvests. During that time, the humble parish priest of Sant Joan, Mosén Pedro Mena, along with two Franciscan friars—Francisco Bendicho and Francisco Villafranca—organized a procession to implore the arrival of rain.
Their objective was to transport a sacred relic, known as the Holy Cloth or Santa Faz, from the local parish to the Hermitage of the Angels, where the religious figures were temporarily residing.
Miracle of the Tear: An Unforgettable Dawn in 1489
Thus, when they departed from Sant Joan at dawn on March 17, no one could have imagined the magnitude of what was about to occur.
Shortly after covering a short distance, upon reaching a small ravine called Lloixa, the Franciscan carrying the Sacred Relic noticed an unusual weight in his arms. Both he and the rest of the participants in the pilgrimage stopped, bewildered.
Then, before the astonished crowd, a tear streamed down the sacred image’s right eye, running along the cloth’s cheek. The multitude, amazed, witnessed the moment when that drop grew large enough to be visible not only to those nearby but also to those somewhat distant.
However, the event did not end with passive observation. A notable knight, D. Guillén Pascual, an accredited member of the local nobility, witnessed the phenomenon and, in an act of boldness and reverence, touched that tear with his finger, certifying the authenticity of the miracle before the crowd.
Religious Significance and Social Transformation of the Event
According to historian Dr. Teresa Moncada, an expert in medieval religions, that event had not only spiritual relevance but also sociopolitical impact.
“The tear that emerged from the Santa Faz not only reinforced the population’s devotion but also had a profound impact on the collective identity. This event was interpreted as a sign of divine blessing, a message of comfort amid adversity,” Moncada states.
Meanwhile, historian Dr. Manuel Soriano, a specialist in the history of the Valencian Community, highlights that “the Pope’s intervention and the subsequent recognition of that relic turned this event into a turning point in the popular religiosity of Alicante. The Santa Faz transcended the anecdote and became an identity symbol.”
Until that moment, the region was suffering one of the worst droughts on record. Farmers had lost hope and feared a summer without fruits. Mosén Pedro Mena, aware of human fragility in the face of natural cycles, had proposed that procession as a last resort. The event of March 17, 1489, would be recounted for decades in sermons, oral tales, and even written chronicles.
These versions, filled with nuances and possible exaggerations, intertwine with historical truth, creating a blend of myth and reality that persists to this day.
On the other hand, the event did not conclude with the tear itself. The subsequent donation of the Barranco de Lloixa lands by D. Guillén Pascual for the construction of the future Monastery of the Santa Faz marked the landscape and the architectural history of the region.
From Isolated Ravine to Epicenter of Faith: The Construction of the Monastery
According to the local archivist, Architect Lucía Carrillo, who has dedicated years to studying documents related to the miracle, the chronicles closest to the events describe the crowd immersed in an overwhelming silence.
“There are records indicating how some people, previously facing death, reconciled at that moment, embracing in front of the image,” explains Carrillo while reviewing old files in a climate-controlled room of the municipal archive. Thanks to these documents, and others kept in ecclesiastical facilities, the magnitude of the event and its impact on local culture can be confirmed.
Materially, the construction of the Monastery of the Santa Faz—erected later on the lands donated by Pascual—transformed the surroundings.
According to accounts, that small ravine, a place that then seemed the center of nowhere, ended up becoming a nerve center of pilgrimage and devotion. Over the centuries, the monastery withstood sieges, Berber invasions, and looting, including the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, which reduced valuable belongings and documents to ashes.
Similarly, the monastery still preserves its historical façade and maintains its role as a place of worship and spiritual reference today.
The Santa Faz and Its Role in Times of Crisis
In the centuries following the miracle, the fame of the Santa Faz spread. The relic, which had originally been a Roman gift to Mosén Mena—according to legend—came to be venerated throughout the region and beyond.
In a context marked by epidemics, wars, and recurrent droughts, the Santa Faz constituted a tangible sign of divine grace. Over time, the Pope officially recognized its significance, an event that increased the influx of devotees and curious visitors during annual pilgrimages.
In the spring of 1489, however, rain did not immediately arrive in the region following the miracle. It is said that more than a week passed before the first drops fell. Some versions suggest that the arrival of a friar from Valencia, the so-called “Holy Pine,” and two subsequent miracles, eventually fulfilled the hopes of those troubled peasants.
Nevertheless, the collective memory preferred to retain the moving image of the tear on the cloth’s cheek, a sign interpreted as evidence of the shared suffering between the divine and the human.
There were those who, with skepticism, attempted to explain the event from a more earthly perspective. Some later theories—especially from the 19th century onward—suggested it might have been a condensation phenomenon or some optical effect. However, popular fervor and contemporary testimonies left little room for the rationalism of the time.
The robust oral tradition, persistent devotion, and the strength of local belief overcame naturalistic logic. Despite emerging modernity, the miracle continued to be softly narrated by Alicante grandmothers, thus passing the flame of faith to younger generations.
Mosén Pedro Mena: Guardian of the Relic and Spiritual Leader
Nevertheless, the figure of Mosén Pedro Mena is crucial in this story. While tradition states that he died four years after the miracle, on March 17, 1493, at the age of 83, his exact tomb has not been confirmed with certainty.
Some accounts indicate his burial in the Chapel of the Rosary of the Church of Sant Joan, under a generic tombstone that cites his charity towards the poor: “Quem Plangunt Pauperes”. Although modern investigations have not entirely corroborated this detail, Mena’s symbolic presence in the collective memory remains intact.
Moreover, his figure stands as a moral pillar, a man who kept the sacred cloth among everyday garments and who, after witnessing its inexplicable movement, offered it to public worship, thus consolidating the devotion that would skyrocket with the miracle of the tear.
In the historical context of the 15th century, popular religiosity and belief in relics held a significance difficult to comprehend from a contemporary perspective. That society, marked by political instability, diseases, and direct dependence on the climate, revered any sign of divine intervention.
Therefore, the Miracle of the Tear was not merely a picturesque episode but an event that reinforced the identity of a community facing uncertainty. Similarly, the Church saw in this event an opportunity to strengthen the faith of its parishioners, thereby solidifying the spiritual power of the institution locally.
The Lasting Impact of the Miracle on Alicante and Its Region
Over the years, the landscape of the Barranco de Lloixa changed, while the monastery grew in importance and historical relevance. That geography, which many would have preferred a little further south—to avoid floods and typical surges of Alicante’s unpredictable climate—ended up being the epicenter of a religious fervor that lasted generations.
Thus, the ‘Creu de Fusta’ (Wooden Cross), which still today commemorates the embrace between two mortal enemies who reconciled upon meeting during the procession, became a symbol of peace, restoration of social order, and harmony among neighbors.
Despite this, natural adversities continued to manifest. The tragic ‘Cold Drop’ of 1982 served as a reminder of human vulnerability to the elements, even threatening to carry the relic into the sea. This contemporary episode, distant in time, only reinforced the legendary aura surrounding the monastic complex.
The Eternal Legacy of the Santa Faz
From an academic perspective, the research and cataloging efforts undertaken by professionals like Dr. Moncada, Dr. Soriano, and archivist Carrillo have helped refine the legend. By confronting ancient documents, theological analyses, and indirect testimonies, the historical reality of the popular myth has been gradually clarified.
Their findings, accessible today, aid in better understanding the cultural context of the event, the role of the Church, and the reactions of the agrarian society at that time. This rigor has opened the door to new interpretations, allowing the Miracle of the Tear to be appreciated as a complex phenomenon where faith, politics, tradition, and geography intertwine.
In conclusion, the Miracle of the Tear that occurred in 1489 became a reference point for the spirituality of Alicante and Sant Joan. The devotion it sparked led not only to the construction of a Franciscan monastery in a remote area but also to a way of understanding the relationship between the human and the divine.
Although the rain was delayed, the symbolic impact of that tear was immediate and enduring. The relic, the donated lands, subsequent processions, papal approval, and the future generations that grew up with this story in their memory formed a legacy that persists today.
Similarly, this tradition can be traced in written testimonies, local references, and historical archives, such as those preserved in Alicante.es or ecclesiastical catalogs, providing researchers with a broad field where the past and present continuously dialogue.
The Santa Faz: Between Faith and Memory, a Legacy of Collective Resilience
After the consolidation of the Monastery of the Santa Faz, annual pilgrimages increased the influx of devotees and curious visitors. Across generations, oral narratives intertwined with historical documents that, although often brief, supported the collective belief.
The memory of the Miracle of the Tear was not static; each new era reinterpreted the event according to its own concerns and contexts. Not even the partial destruction of the church during the Spanish Civil War managed to extinguish the spiritual resonance of the event, which survived in popular faith and in the collective imagination of Alicante.
Ultimately, the Miracle of the Tear embodied the community’s ancestral longing for divine protection in times of crisis. A longing that, beyond modern skepticism, was embedded in the very veins of Alicante tradition.
That tear, a witness to the drought, human helplessness, and unity in the face of adversity, stood as an emblem of resilience. Thus, through time, the Santa Faz remains an echo of the past, palpable in every stone of the monastery, in every prayer within its walls, and in the living memory of the descendants of those who witnessed that unforgettable March dawn.
In contrast, its footprint endures as a testament to the complex relationship between faith, history, and landscape, reminding us that even in doubt, beliefs can forge an unbreakable collective identity.
