Caballos del Vino Museum

It is located in the former house of the family Muso Melgarejo, baroque building fully restored, in the old town. We can find it a few steps away from Caballos del Vino Square, traditional scene of several events during these peculiar unique in the world festivities on May the 2nd. 60 Lavishly harnessed horses with embroidered pieces go across the streets of the city to the popular race.

Inside the house-museum we can find the history and development of this fiesta that is own and exclusive of the people of Caravaca. It was declared Intangible Asset of Cultural Interet (Bien de Interes Cultural Inmaterial) and candidate to be Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO (Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad).

The “Wine Horses” trappings are formed by numerous embroidered on silk, gemstones and pailletes of gold and silver, custom-made for each and every horse and are renewed every year. The merit lies in this trapping showing perfect on the horse and in its own beauty and complexity too.

The displayed collection shows the Caballos del Vino evolution during the XX century – from simple traditional trappings of the beginning of the century made of wedding bedspread and other domestic clothes to the current extraordinary embroideries. Different times joint together in a shared feeling that has kept this fiesta alive in history, encouraging next generations of people from Caravaca to work with enthusiasm to make it bigger and better every year. This history is showed with love and respect to its participants in baroque still lifes that reproduce the greatness of Caballos del Vino.

Across the rooms we can also find audiovisual content that gather the most important moments of this festival, transmitting its beauty, power and emotion in which highlights a crucial moment: the legendary race of Caballos del Vino and race of ponies with their little caballistas on May 3rd, that represent the future of the festivities.