The story begins before the convent
Tradition holds that in the mid-13th century a wealthy Muslim man lived in Onda, on the very site where the Sanctuary stands today. He had a daughter he loved dearly. When she gave birth to her first child, she died. To preserve her memory, he commissioned a sculptor to create a statue as faithful to her likeness as possible, even depicting her with child.
One night, while he slept, the father saw the image radiant, crowned, with a sun resting upon its belly. The same vision repeated itself among others, both Christians and Muslims. The wealthy Muslim converted. Word spread, and together they built a simple hermitage dedicated to Our Lady of Hope. From that moment, the figure who would later be chosen as Onda's patron saint began to be venerated.
Tradition recorded this story in a large canvas covering the entire Gospel wall of the main chapel. It could be seen there until the Mendizábal confiscations.
A church built twice
The original hermitage dated to around 1328. The Carmelites rebuilt it around 1437 and turned the complex into a convent. Four centuries later came the first of two great blows: in 1836, the Mendizábal land reforms forced the friars to abandon the building. That same year, on 2 August, a fire set by soldiers of the Portuguese Legion reduced the convent to rubble.
The Carmelites returned in 1879 and started from scratch. On 26 April 1891, the Bishop of the Diocese of Tortosa blessed the foundation stone of the new neo-Gothic church. It was inaugurated on 15 July 1903, on the eve of the feast of Our Lady of Carmen.
The second blow came in 1936. On 27 July, during the Civil War, the sanctuary suffered another fire, this time accompanied by the murder of twelve Carmelite brothers. The remaining friars could not return until 1938. What we see today is the church as restored after that second destruction, with the most recent major interventions in 1989-90.
What to see inside
The church has a single nave with five side chapels and a choir over the entrance. In the fifth chapel on the Gospel side, a Gothic-style stone arch is embedded in the wall: possibly one of the few surviving remnants of the original 15th-century convent.
The image of Our Lady of Hope presiding over the high altar is the work of Valencian sculptor José Rabasa, blessed on 25 May 1956. The dressing room where she is venerated, also by Rabasa, was added two years later. In the various chapels you can see images of St Joseph, the Sacred Heart, St Teresa of Jesus, St Elijah and Our Lady of Carmen, among others.
The stained glass windows deserve attention. The first set, commissioned in 1949, depicts St John of the Cross and the giving of the Scapular. More were added over the years, reaching twenty in total, with scenes from Mount Carmel, saints of the Order and texts such as the Magnificat and the Flos Carmeli.
The surroundings: nature and silence
The complex sits on a small rise beside the Sonella river, surrounded by greenery. First-time visitors often share the same surprise: after the walk from the town centre, the setting changes completely. Green, silence and the convent in the distance. It is easy to understand why, for many people from Onda, El Carmen is one of the city's most emotionally significant places.
Bear in mind that interior access depends on the worship schedule of the Carmelite community. The exterior and gardens can be visited freely. If the aim is to see the church from inside, it is worth checking opening times before visiting.
When to go
The most notable dates are 15 and 16 July, the feast of Our Lady of Carmen, and 18 December, the day of Our Lady of Hope. On those days the sanctuary draws pilgrims, processions and an atmosphere unlike any other time of year.
The rest of the time it is a quiet place, busiest at weekends when families combine the visit with the adjacent MICO Gaming Zone or a short hike into the sierra. The Natural Sciences Museum, in the same convent building, is set to reopen in the coming years as an immersive museum.