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Shrine of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes

Villena, L'Alt Vinalopó, Alicante

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Shrine of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes

Monument · Villena, L'Alt Vinalopó, Alicante

The sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes, declared a Conjunto Histórico-Artístico (a historic-artistic heritage protection category) in 1976, stands next to a former lagoon, now drained, near the Fuente del Chopo, about five kilometres from Villena. It originated as a hermitage from the late 14th century, of which remains survive in the crypt; tradition holds that the townspeople fled there from the plague and proclaimed the Virgen de las Virtudes their new patroness, although the earliest surviving document dates from 1490. It was later occupied by Augustinian monks, although the building remained municipal property. It is entered through a two-tiered Renaissance portal, with a semicircular arch between columns and a shell-shaped niche holding the image of the Virgin, in stone with garlands and medallions. The church, with three naves, preserves an 18th-century Baroque camarín (a chapel behind the altar housing the venerated image) next to the altar, and ribbed vaults on pillars.

Photo: Consellería de Cultura (Public domain)

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