CARAVACA

city, in the provincia and comunidad autnoma (autonomous community) of Murcia, southeastern Spain, about 40 miles (65 km) west-northwest of Murcia city. The city's churches include El Salvador (16th century), designed by Juan de Herrera, and La Santsima Cruz (1617), which once housed the miraculous Cross of Caravaca. Given to the Knights Templar by Ferdinand III of Castile, who took it from the Moors in 1241, Caravaca later passed to the military Order of Santiago. The city is now a centre of shoe and sandal manufacturing and also produces textiles, brandy, and chocolate. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 21,037.