The Faces of Bélmez de la Moraleda
In the 1970s, there was an event that shocked the entire country. Patches began to appear on the floor of María Gómez's house, taking the shape of faces. At one point there were hundreds of images scattered throughout the house. An interesting fact is that María Gómez Cámara's house is built on an old medieval 13th-century Muslim cemetery. Today, 50 years later, when the faces are starting to blur, the Bélmez Faces Interpretation Centre offers information on the event.
Half a century has passed since 1971, when Maria Gomez Camera, while cooking some peppers in her house on Calle Real inBelmez, was terrified as she saw a face appear on the floor of her kitchen that seemed to be looking at her. With great fear, she smashed the face and covered it with a layer of cement. But it reappeared days later. That first face, nicknamed "La Pava", seemed to represent a man with expressive eyes and dark lines that represented his moustache and mouth. Days later more faces emerged, some with starving and skeletal forms.
There has been much debate about whether it was a fraud or a paranormal event. But it has certainly caught the interest of tourists. A curious model of paranormal tourism, which started a trickle of visitors that still continues nowadays. The house has been closed since the owner died, although in 2013 Bélmez Town Council opened the Faces Interpretation Centre.
Visitors can find several types of media to learn more about the events that have surrounded this paranormal phenomenon, from when the faces appeared in the 70s to the present day. There are documents that show the impact on the media over the years, publications and a reference to different theories and hypotheses.
To discover the magic, the best thing is to go to the Cordoba town of Bélmez and get to know more about this strange event. You'll be enchanted by the source of the spring, in the heart of the town; its popular streets and unique watchtowers, the so-called Lucero and Sol. And you'll be equally amazed by Thyme Day. On the night of 19 January, the young people of the town go to the mountains to collect bunches of thyme, which they then leave at the doors of their houses, crossroads and squares and in the end they are set on fire. It is a joyful night where they sing, dance and play around the bonfires.
