At a distance of 4 km from La Sierra de Engarcerán, on the road towards Benlloch, a sign on the right indicates a 200-metre detour which will bring you to the Ermita de San Miguel. It has a strategic location, as it is situated on the slope of a hill and the edge of a ravine. From this position, you can take in a wide view of the region. There is a fountain and an old animal drinking trough next to it.
Although an older ermita, or small church, may have existed, we know that work on this building began in 1697. It was built over a number of years, as the work was entirely reliant on donations and self-employed workers. Though not completely finished in 1732, people had already begun worshipping there. Its origin is thought be due to a pilgrimage to La Serratella that the town’s residents would undertake in honour of Saint Michael. Given the high cost of this pilgrimage, the bishop authorized the construction of this temple so that people could continue to worship the saint there instead.
The ermita is a simple, rustic temple with an adjoining living for the clergyman to its right.. On the left, you can see buttresses, corners, the doorframe and dressed stone windows. The whole complex has double-sloped roofing. It has a triangular front façade and a bell gable at the top. It also has a rectangular door and various windows covered by grilles. The door’s lintel features an engraving of Saint Michal defeating the devil.
Pilgrimages are made to this ermita twice a year: on the first Sunday in May as part of the Fira de la Santa Creu celebrations, and on the Sunday closest to the 29th of September as part of the festival in honour of Saint Michael.
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