Capilla de San Roque: history and devotion in Calaceite

The Capilla de San Roque in Calaceite is a building with a rich history and religious significance in the comarca. Its devotion has been maintained over the centuries, and there are several places in the area dedicated to San Roque, patron saint against infectious diseases.

The origin of the chapel is documented from 1555, but the current structure is the result of an expansion from the early 17th century. The works, which extended the nave towards the now-disappeared Bassa Podrida, were carried out by Pedro Pizarro, master stonemason from Alcañiz, who also built the town hall (casa consistorial). Begun in 1613, these works had a budget of 600 libras jaquesas.

Originally, the chapel was located outside the walls of the Portal de la Fuente (demolished in 1860). Near this point there existed the singular «taula de la Carrasca», an element whose function was crucial for the town.

The chapel, located on a steep slope, displays a pronounced Renaissance style and a rectangular floor plan. It has a single nave divided into two bays and a barrel-vaulted ceiling with lunettes. Due to its former location outside the walls and its proximity to the Portal de la Fuente, it has few openings, limited to arrow-slit windows.

Next to the chapel stood the old cemetery, used until 1840. Later, the Convento de las Monjas de la Consolación was built on this site, using the chapel for its religious services. The Capilla de San Roque has been an important alternative place of worship when the parish church was not available, as occurred during the construction of the current Baroque building in the 17th–18th centuries or when it lay in ruins after the Spanish Civil War.