Ermita y Museo de la Patrona Santísima Virgen de la Cabeza

The Ermita de la Santísima Virgen de la Cabeza, patron saint of Campillo de Arenas, is one of the town’s main places of worship. Oral tradition traces the origins of this devotion to the miraculous discovery of the image beside the Cantarranas spring, on a hill near the town. According to the account, a farmer named Leonardo Ximénez, whilst ploughing the land with his oxen, discovered an image of the Virgin next to the spring. Impressed by the find, he took it to the church to present it to the people.

The devotion of the local residents helped to establish this devotion. The veneration of the Virgin of La Cabeza on Cerro del Cabezo (Andújar), together with the ban issued by Charles III on 16 March 1773 on attending the Andújar pilgrimage, and the possible intention to establish a brotherhood of their own, may have influenced the decision to adopt the Virgin of La Cabeza as the local patron saint. A chapel was built in her honour near the site of the apparition.

Historical records show that, although various brotherhoods existed in Campillo in the 16th century—such as those of the Blessed Sacrament, Vera Cruz, the Immaculate Conception, and Our Lady of the Rosary—it was not until 1667 that the brotherhood of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza was founded, officially establishing her cult in the town.
Next to the chapel stands the Museo de la Patrona, a space dedicated to preserving and displaying objects linked to the devotion, the history of the brotherhood and the religious traditions of the town. The complex serves as a key site for understanding the spiritual identity of Campillo de Arenas and the historical significance of this Marian devotion in the lives of its residents.