Campana de Mare de Deu del Toro - Menorca, Spain
Posted by: 
manchanegra
N 39° 59.097 E 004° 06.818
31S E 595081 N 4426680
At the top of Monte Toro, the geographic center of the island of Menorca, is the sanctuary of Mare de Deu del Toro, Menorca patron and whose appearance is involved in a strange and magical legend.
Waymark Code: WMC2WM
Location: Islas Baleares, Spain
Date Posted: 07/18/2011
Views: 8
At the top of Monte Toro, the geographic center of the island of Menorca, is the sanctuary of Mare de Deu del Toro, Menorca patron and whose appearance is involved in a strange and magical legend. According to the story a raging bull took care to protect the top of the mountain.
A group of monks, attracted by a column of light, decided to climb. When the visitors arrived, the beast, instead of attack the monks led them through the dense woods to a cave where the monks found a statue of the Virgin Mary with a baby Jesus in her arms.
In that place a chapel was built and later a convent, but, both would be destroyed later by fire.
The actual church was built in the 17th century by Augustinian friars. It´s preceded by a central courtyard with a well the church, a Renaissance building is surrounded by walls.
After being abandoned in 1835 the building was uninhabited until it was reoccupied by Franciscans in 1880. Affected by the Civil War, the church was fully restored and now, the Franciscan nuns are responsible for keeping the spiritual exercises.
The Sanctuary has one bell mounted on the top of a small tower.
Address of Tower:
Mare de Deu del Toro
Monte El Toro
Es Mercadal, Menorca Spain
07740
Still Operational: yes
Number of bells in tower?: 1
Relevant website?: [Web Link]
Rate tower: 
Tours or visits allowed in tower?: No
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.