Alright! As you're approaching, you should see a charming neoclassical building ahead. This is the Hermitage of Saint Lucia. It's a relatively simplistic structure with white walls and a gray door, framed by soft reddish-brown trim. Above the door, you'll spot a niche containing an image of Saint Lucia herself, and the top of the façade is crowned by a striking bell gable that features three arches, one of which houses a bell. The nook on either side of the front door is guarded by two classic lanterns.
Nestled outside the main urban area of Ayora, in the Comunidad Valenciana, you'll find the Hermitage of Saint Lucia. According to local historian, Don Eufrosino Martínez Azorín, this delightful hermitage stands proudly in the Solana neighborhood, the town's largest, on the exact spot where an ancient mosque once stood. Back in the day, the street was known as the Moorish Oven Street, but now it's named after the very hermitage you're looking at.
Built in 1607, it got a face-lift in 1898 thanks to Rafael Perades Gumiel, and was completed under the keen eye of master mason García Barberán by March 12, 1900. The building boasts a neoclassical style with a rectangular nave and a distinctively arranged diamond-patterned floor.
Now, here’s a fun tidbit-six side altars grace the walls between pilasters, dedicated to saints like Saint Anthony, Saint Pascual Bailón, the Immaculate Conception, young Saint John, the Virgin of Carmen, and Saint Roch. The main altar is a bit of a showstopper with a painted altarpiece by Don Casimiro Escribá, showcasing Saint Lucia right at the center.
It's like stepping back in time, right here in front of this quaint and historic hermitage! Enjoy this delightful spot before we move on to our next destination.
