The Church of San Agustín: The Heart of Fuente Álamo

 Construction of the Church of San Agustín began in 1545 (Baroque and Neoclassical style) following a decision by the Lorca Town Council* to erect a place of worship in the area. It was elevated from a chapel to a parish church in 1582, dedicated to Saint Augustine of Hippo as the local patron saint, and became the first parish in the Campo de Cartagena area. However, the church suffered severe destruction on the night of July 26th, 1936, during the Spanish Civil War (July 17th, 1936 - April 1st, 1939): all its religious images, altarpieces, furnishings, and historic parish archives were burned by Republican forces, resulting in the loss of valuable sculptures by artists such as Francisco Salzillo and Roque López.

Throughout the conflict, Republican forces put the building to various uses, employing it as a warehouse and a prison, and establishing an observation post in its tower for the anti-aircraft batteries defending the Cartagena coast. Furthermore, the church housed nearly 300 survivors of the sinking of the ship "Castillo de Olite" in March 1939 as prisoners. The people of Fuente Álamo treated these prisoners in an exemplary manner, and in recognition of this, the Council of Ministers awarded the municipality the honorary title of "Very Noble and Very Loyal" in 1966. (Source: Wikipedia)

*On July 20th, Fuente Álamo celebrates "Día de la Villa" (Town Day), a local festival commemorating the granting of town status and its independence from Murcia, Cartagena, and Lorca by King Charles II in 1700.