Hermitage of San Miguel

The hermitage of San Miguel, built in 1787, is a magnificent example of the Baroque style in the municipal district of Fuentespalda. Its main façade is plain, featuring a doorway with a round arch and an upper window marking the date of its construction. The upper section is crowned by a bell gable of curved design, adorned with finials that enhance its appearance.

The hermitage, of rectangular plan, is built primarily with robust rubble masonry walls, complemented by ashlar masonry reinforcement at the corners, giving it great solidity and character. On the exterior, its pitched roof shelters an impressive barrel vault with lunettes inside. Large buttresses and a porch added in 1860, designed to shelter worshippers from bad weather, give it its distinctive appearance. At the rear stands the traditional hermit's house.

Along the path ascending to the hermitage unfolds a moving calvary, a winding Stations of the Cross flanked by slender cypress trees. The path is lined with square pillars displaying representations of the stations of the cross on ceramic tiles, each topped by a wrought-iron cross. This route is not only a place of devotion, but also a setting of exceptional natural beauty, surrounded by pines, junipers, rosemary and other native species.

The calvary path coincides with a stretch of the short-distance trail PR-TE 158, offering visitors the opportunity to combine spirituality with the enjoyment of nature. San Miguel is, without doubt, a meeting point between Baroque architecture, religious tradition and the scenic richness of Fuentespalda, ideal for reflection and enjoyment.

The route sets off beside the road coming from Valderrobres, the A-1414 -on our right heading towards Fuentespalda-, at its km 13.2, on the other side of the municipal campsite of Fuentespalda. We take a track that begins with a metal sign bearing the name of the hermitage, which can be clearly seen above the village, located about 200 m away. Among vineyards, almond groves and cereal fields, this area offers beautiful panoramic views of Fuentespalda, where its medieval watchtower stands out prominently.

Along our way, in addition to the farming holdings, we will come across evidence of the area's livestock-rearing tradition. We cover several stretches of surfaced track, always keeping the hermitage as our reference point and following the PR waymarks. About 1.5 km from the starting point, the path enters a dense pine forest.

After a steep climb, made more manageable by the zigzagging track, we reach our destination, the hermitage of San Miguel, surrounded by beautiful cypress trees. It is well worth taking time to look closely at the exterior details of the chapel, full of historical surprises. From the front of the hermitage, a waymarked path descends along a cobbled lane of immemorial age, bringing us back to the centre of Fuentespalda in just a few minutes.

During the 18th century the three hermitages that exist today in the district of Fuentespalda were built: that of Santa Bárbara, that of San Pedro Mártir, and this one.

One of the most deep-rooted traditions in the villages of the Matarraña region is the holding of pilgrimages and festive gatherings at the hermitages. In the case of Fuentespalda, the tradition lives on with two pilgrimages: around 29 April at the hermitage of San Pedro Mártir and on 29 September, the feast of San Miguel.