Help on the way
VILLAJOYOSA’S municipal museum VilaMuseu is hosting an exhibition of ‘exceptional’ minerals related to the ‘Camino de Santiago’ – the Way of St James pilgrim route.
The small display, is called ‘Jacintos de Compostela: el amuleto de los peregrinos’ (Jacintos de Compostela – a type of quartz: the amulet of pilgrims), and provides visitors with a taster of the museum’s geological collection.
It is a collection of red quartz crystals that were unearthed in excavations at Domeño in Valencia province, and Orcheta inland of Villajoyosa itself.
The exhibition has been curated by the geologist Cinto Vaello, who has collaborated with the museum since its founding more than 40 years ago, when he donated his rock and mineral collection to the town’s old archaeology and ethnography museum.
Jacintos de Compostela stand out for their unmistakeable colour and distinctive shape, and have been used as a protective amulet for centuries, in particular by pilgrims on the Camino de Sana tiago, which has had a starting point in Villajoyosa – a branch of the Camino del Sureste – for hundreds of years. The exhibition highlights this link with the inclusion of a traditional pilgrim’s outfit, donated by museum volunteer and founder of La Vila-Benidorm pilgrims group, Pepe Tonda.
The exhibition also features
video with experts explaining the nature of quartz and its links with magic over the centuries.
‘Jacintos de Compostela: the amulet of pilgrims’ is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00-19.00 and Sundays from 10.00-14.00, until June 15. It is closed on Mondays.
General admission is €3.