DESCRIPTION
Religious building of Mudéjar character located in the urban centre of Casas de Don Pedro, dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, patron saint of the municipality, and one of the town’s principal devotional and cultural landmarks.
HISTORY
The hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios dates back to the 16th century, in a context of consolidation of the urban centre and the development of popular religiosity around Marian devotions. Its location within the urban area, very close to the parish church, highlights the singularity of its function, possibly linked to a specific form of worship or a particular devotion that justified the coexistence of both religious spaces.
Since its foundation, the hermitage has been closely linked to the spiritual life of the municipality, housing the image of the Virgen de los Remedios, deeply venerated by the town’s inhabitants. Like the Virgen de Guadalupe, she is a dark-skinned Virgin, which has led some scholars to believe that it could be a replica. Over time, this space has become the centre of one of the municipality’s most deeply rooted traditions: the patron saint festivities in honour of the Virgin, which have continued uninterrupted to the present day.
The evolution of the building also reflects changes in the urban environment, evolving from a more isolated construction to becoming fully integrated into the fabric of the town, which has influenced its accessibility and its relationship with public space.
HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC DESCRIPTION
The building follows a single-nave typology characteristic of popular religious architecture, with a clear influence of the Mudéjar style. It is built with traditional materials, notably the use of brick in structural and decorative elements.
The interior is organised around a main altar covered by a hemispherical dome, which provides greater spatial development to the ensemble. This dome, originally featuring exposed brickwork, constitutes one of the building’s most characteristic elements. The lunettes of the vaults are painted.
The main façade presents a simple yet carefully designed composition, with a doorway framed by brick semi-columns on a podium, joined by a cornice with a central corbel and topped by a pediment supported by pilasters. On both sides there are lateral elements that reinforce its ornamental character within an ensemble of modest dimensions.
The building also preserves secondary accesses that reveal its original configuration, when it was not completely surrounded by buildings, allowing its evolution within the urban fabric to be interpreted.
RELEVANT FIGURES RELATED TO THE POI
The building is dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, a Marian devotion of great importance within popular religiosity, traditionally associated with the protection and assistance of the faithful.
In Casas de Don Pedro, this figure acquires special importance as the patron saint of the municipality, constituting the community’s principal devotional reference and the central focus of its most significant celebrations.
MOVABLE HERITAGE
Image of the Virgen de los Remedios and liturgical elements associated with worship, of great devotional value for the local community.
INTANGIBLE HERITAGE
The hermitage is directly linked to the patron saint festivities in honour of the Virgen de los Remedios, held in August, which constitute the most important celebration in the local festive calendar.
Among its principal events are the novena, the transfer of the image to the parish church, the Rosario de la Aurora accompanied by the singing of traditional coplas, the solemn procession and the rituals associated with the participation of traditional figures such as the standard-bearer and the halberdiers. These deeply rooted celebrations reflect the continuity of practices passed down from generation to generation, reinforcing the cultural identity and sense of belonging of the community.
