Portal de San Roque

The space between the Portal de San Roque and the Portal de la Villa, with the “lonja” (porticoed hall) of the town hall located between them, constitutes an area of great architectural beauty and complexity in Ráfales. Different construction phases throughout history converge here. The area is reached through a succession of arches in various styles, which ultimately lead to the three central arches resting on a pillar in the centre of the lonja.

The Portal de San Roque is the oldest construction in this ensemble. Originally, it formed part of the castle walls, probably built in the 14th century, and served as one of the gateways into the town. It was protected by the Torreta, which is still standing. In the 16th century, the town hall was built adjoining the wall, and a new entrance was created in the same outer wall of the civic building. The older gate was later dedicated to the devotion of San Roque, the patron saint against epidemics and infectious diseases. A chapel in honour of this saint was built into one of the side walls, and the interior of the portal was decorated in a Baroque style.

Among the building elements of this portal we find the presence of a rather unusual feature that connects to the geological richness of the area: ammonite fossils embedded in the wall. These fossils are not merely a curiosity; they also reflect the natural history of the region, highlighting the role of ammonites as stratigraphic markers and their diversity in the history of palaeontology.