On 15th October 1767 the town was presented with a new image of Jesús Nazareno by the Duchess of Medinaceli as thanks for the town's tribute on the birth of her son. (Local legend however suggests that the image was actually intended for the Duchess but, after several attempts, it couldn't be carried across the Cabo de San Antonio headland and thus this was interpreted as a sign that the destiny of the image was in Jávea.) The image was carried on the shoulders of young sailors to the church of San Bartolomé where it remained until the small Calvario shrine was completed to house the new statue three years later.

In 1834 cholera swept through the area and the population prayed to the image for salvation from the plague. There were no more deaths from cholera that year and ever since. In gratitude, the locals made improvements to the chapel of Calvario in 1847 to its present form, complete with the Arabic-style blue tiled dome and dedicated special celebrations in its honour.

The original image was destroyed by the comunistas during the Spanish Civil War but a replacement was able to be made from a surviving photograph; this is the image we see today. In October 1967, to mark the bicentennial of the supposed gesture of the Duchess of Medinaceli, the mayor of Jávea, don José Llidó Vicente, proposed that the image of Jesús Nazareno be named perpetual mayor and be given the baton of office "for eternity" which meant that for all religious activities involving it, no mayor would ever lead with the baton. The proposal was unanimously agreed and, to this day, the image carries the baton of office at his feet. The appointment was welcomed with great joy by the people of Jávea. After all, who better to keep them from harm than Him? There were great celebrations as the streets was decorated with flowers, flags and lanterns. There were bulls, musical performances, dancing in the streets and parades, essentially similar festivities that take place today, the largest religious celebrations in Jávea.

On the third Sunday of Lent, the image of Jesús Nazareno is brought down from the chapel of Calvario in solemn procession to the church of San Bartolomé, where it will stay until the end of the festivities. On Good Friday - el viernes santos - the image is carried through the streets of Jávea in another emotional cavalcade to mark this significant event in Christian mythology. And then, at the end of April, the festivities begin.

The taunting of animals may not be to everyone's liking and thus those individuals tend stay away from the opening event of the fiesta - the controversial demonstration of bravery in front of heifers and bulls in a special arena built on the car-park just of Avenida de Palmela. Yet it remains widely popular with a population that is still essentially rural in nature and these events are well attended. The special cages which surround the arena are mostly privately owned by family and friends and it is only those who may use the platforms on top, although anyone is welcome to stand in the cage below. However watch out for those runners escaping the charging animals as they may drive themselves forcibly between the bars to avoid a bloody goring and many more accidents are as a result of a clash of heads than from those horns.

Certain nights offer the spectacle of the 'toro embolado' - the "flaming bull" - in which special clamps are attached to the horns on which flammable material is wrapped and then set alight to add a certain edge to the event. The practice probably oversteps the mark for many people and several animal rights campaigners have been pressing to have it banned by the EU. Yet, for many others, it remains part of the heritage of Spain and something that they would protect dearly. The tradition appears to stem from the days when animals wandered freely through the streets of many villages and towns. Whilst they could be avoided during the day, a series of mishaps with horns during the darkness of night resulted in many villages requiring these animals to have torches strapped to their horns as a early warning system. And thus the 'toro emboloado' serves as a reminder of the past, albeit a little inappropriately for some people.

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Updated: Saturday 23rd April 2011