To spot the Orihuela Comarcal Archaeological Museum, look for the grand old building with tall arches and a checkered floor leading under soaring white ceilings, right where the street opens up in front of you.
Now, let’s step back-way, way back, almost like pressing rewind on history! This museum is special, because it’s tucked inside the old church and “men’s ward” of Orihuela’s former San Juan de Dios hospital. Imagine this place centuries ago: monks and doctors rushing about, caring for the sick, all unaware they’d be sharing their halls with treasures from long before anyone called this city home. As you stand here, you’re surrounded by echoes from the Stone Age, hearing the quiet tap-tap of ancient tools, the whispered secrets of buried pottery, and the distant clangor of swords. You’ll find ancient ceramics from the mysterious Argaric people, artifacts from Roman times, and delicate Islamic and Christian pottery, as if this museum were a lost-and-found box for thousands of years of stories.
Ah, but there’s one resident here you really can’t miss-La Diablesa! Standing in the old presbytery is “The Triumph of the Cross,” but most locals call it the Devil Lady. It was sculpted in 1694 and was so spooky that people once wanted it banned from Easter processions-don’t worry, she only comes alive in the imagination! So, are you ready to stroll through time and maybe meet a legendary devil on the way? Don’t trip on your way back to the Stone Age!
