The Hermitage of Santa Ana

On the way to the Refugio de la Majada del Cojo, about 3 km south of the town center up the road that runs parallel to the Santa Ana stream, we find this beautiful chapel, a building in perfect condition dating from the eighteenth century and whose monumentality makes it look more like a church than a hermitage. It is located in one of the most beautiful and emblematic places of the town, in full Mount of Santa Ana and next to the stream of the same name. Truly, the panoramic views from this particular enclave, with the massif of Peñalara presiding over the valley, do not leave indifferent.

 

Legend has it that it was built after the image of the Virgin appeared to a shepherd. That man wanted to carry the size, but he could only move it when he went to the Alameda district. At present, a Romanesque image of Santa Ana from the XI-XIII century is preserved, which was formerly in the Hermitage. At the present time, on July 26, on the occasion of its celebration, a transfer is carried out in procession from the Church to the Hermitage, staying the rest of the year in the local temple.

It is a building of romantic style, simple in its structure, with a rectangular floor plan, with chains of ashlars in the corners, and with a roof of Arabic tiles on two sides. Despite its current appearance, it was built in masonry without plastering. The head has attached an apse, remains of an old hermitage and converted to housing santero. The cover is simple and without windows, elaborated in stone and with a semicircular arch formed by limestone voussoirs. A brick cornice topped the eaves is the only decorative detail. On the side walls there are small windows to let light in, but not the winds.

 

The Hermitage, after its restoration, has a floor with a Segovian tile, it has wooden benches in a row and a stone contour as a seat. The altar, on the other hand, is very simple and on the Gospel side we find a small pulpit. On this same side, and already on the outside, is the bell that was placed after the aforementioned restoration. At present we have a model of this building that is located in the Multi-purpose Classroom and Tourist Diffusion.