Sanctuary of la Misericordia

15th - 18th centuries

Located at the summit of Puig de la Misericordia, 6 km from the city, documents dating back to the 15th century confirm the presence of a hermitage on this site. The original building underwent constant renovations throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, although its current appearance is due to the transformations that took place during the 18th century, by J. Sánchez and J. Pujol. Specifically in 1722 a new nave was built in which sailors financed the altarpiece dedicated to Saint Sebastian and workers paid for the altarpiece to Saint Anthony. F. and I. Vergara were hired in 1733 for the new major altarpiece, designed to house the image of Our Lady of Mercy.

A new school workshop was opened up in the same hermitage at the end of the 20th century. The building itself was renovated heavily as were the surroundings, adding in gardens, recreational spaces, and picnic areas.

The complex is considered as a Good of Local Relevance with the category of Monument of Local Interest. The complex consists of the hermitage, flanked by the hermit’s house and the hostelry, with a large plaza with two wells. The floor plan for the temple is a Latin cross with a composite Neoclassical architecture. The building has an ample nave, 7.20 metres in width, in three sections, a barrel vaulted ceiling with lunettes, two side chapels facing each other between buttresses, a cross with a dome without a tambour or cupola, a straight head presbytery and a pendentive dome, sacristy, and shrine behind.

The interior of the hermitage preserves a series of ceramic murals, and in the central courtyard of the nave there are large tile mosaics that show off bucolic scenes. These ceramic sets from the 18th century have been attributed to manufacturers from Alcora.

Inside, Joaquín Oliet, a painter from Morella, decorated the vaulted ceilings, the spandrels of the dome, and the lunettes. The vaulted ceiling of the nave represents scenes of the Virgin Mary from the New Testament, the feet on the cross, continued on the presbytery; the spandrels of the cross feature female figures from the Old Testament who represent the Virgin Mary, while the lunettes depict male and female biblical figures.

The façade has a simple, semicircular lintelled door, with a window and sundial above, along with a belfry on the cornice.

Camí de Sant Sebastià, s/n 

Winter hours from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM (closed on non-holiday Mondays) / Summer hours from 9:00 AM to 1:00 AM