Our Lady of Bethlehem

Head of the ox (Badajoz)

In an old Templar barracks near Almorchon, the shrine of Bethlehem keeps the patron of Cabeza del Buey; every 27 September, since 1723, one of the largest Romries of La Serena has been venerated.

Origin and history

After the reconquest, the castle of Almorchon passed to the Order of the Temple, which raised the house-headquarters origin of the sanctuary; dissolved the Temple, passed to the Order of Alcantara, and in the 17th century barefoot trinitaries are documented. The present baroque church was built between the 17th and 18th centuries; the whole, with a church and a cloister of Romanesque air, is Good of Cultural Interest.

Since 1723, the sanctuary has been home to the image of the patron and its rosemary is continually celebrated. The September 27 is one of the most important in the region of La Serena: behind it the image is taken to the village to open the festivities of San Miguel.

Canonical coronation: not found in the sources.