For many years, the only religious symbol in La Zarza was an old Calvary, located in the upper part of this neighbourhood and on the road leading up to the hill, which gave its name to the access street. It is a small and simple Calvary, with white masonry walls, without a doorway or any decoration, in which some small niches are open, today empty, which show that in the past some images were displayed in them. It was probably built at the end of the 18th century to serve as the limit and resting place for the Holy Week Stations of the Cross, after the creation of the parish of San Joaquín in 1796, which had its first seat in the old church, located precisely in the jurisdiction of La Zarza, but in a solitary spot far away from this village in the direction of the coast, which has been in ruins since the beginning of the 19th century.
The image of the Virgen del Carmen, which had been in the town for five years (since 1907), was officially donated to this village by the aforementioned Florentín Tapia el izquierdo (who died in 1920), and was transferred with great solemnity to its new church, where it continued to be venerated with great devotion as the town’s patron saint. Since then, her feast day has been celebrated on the date established by the Church. As a curiosity, in 1948 and on the initiative of the aforementioned teacher, the procession of “Los Faroles” was held for the first time with the Virgen del Carmen, emulating those of Seville, which immediately took root among the population. But in 1955 this procession was transferred to the festivity of the new image of María Auxiliadora, donated to this neighbourhood by the same maestro Muñoz, which is so venerated today in this town.
