Cártama - Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios

Cartama - Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios

Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios - the town's patron saint - is still a focus of reverent pilgrimage for devout locals, and is perched high above Cártama's twisting streets. The shrine is well worth the visit and can be reached by climbing the vertiginous zig-zag path from the main square near the Pilar Alto Fountain. If it is a hot day, take some water along for the climb.   

Hidden from view most of the way, the hermitage is a welcome sight on arrival, after the steep walk - as is the spectacular vista of the Guadalhorce Valley. In front of the fence which marks the entrance to the sanctuary's terrace, there are two stone benches where you can sit down and take in the view. One bears the inscription 'Viva la Santisima Virgin de los Remedios' with the date 1933. The other has the name of Jose Hidalgo Espildora, the Malageño industrialist who (presumably) donated both seats for pilgrims to rest after their climb, before entering the sanctuary itself.

Inside, you can see the 18th-century origins of the sanctuary in the unexpectedly ornate rococo ceiling, the crystal chandelier, and the elaborate gold mouldings and decorations. By contrast, the wooden benches for the congregation are simple to the point of austerity. It was built in the 17th century, over the original 15th-century building. The exterior of the sanctuary was restored in 2001 and the interior in 2007.

A statue of the revered Virgin is the centrepiece of the altar, protected behind a glass screen. It is a poignant place: by the doors are two noticeboards onto which the devout have pinned images and mementoes, photos old and faded, ribbons, scribbled names and notes, as well as - these days - ultrasound baby scans, of their loved ones, for whom they seek the Virgin's blessing and protection.

At the right-hand side of the altar is the entrance to a small vestry which is incongruously plain and domestic compared to the flamboyance of the shrine. It contains some simple wooden furniture and a number of interesting historical photographs of the processions.   

The statue of the Virgin can be reached via wooden stairs from the vestry. You will notice that the work, which is believed to be almost 600 years old, is much smaller then expected. It was said to have been discovered by a shepherd boy under a stone.

During the Civil War of 1936-39, the statue was taken from the shrine by the local priest and poet José Gonzalez Martin (1889 - 1956) to protect it from destruction at the hands of anti-clerical Republicans, who unknowingly destroyed the replica. The original was taken to South America and used to raise funds for Franco's cause, only returning to its home on the mountainside once the war had been won.

Tall votive candles, which can be purchased from the caretaker in the vestry, are burned in the large steel barbecue-like unit outside the hermitage.

The sanctuary is open from 9.00 to 14.00 and 16.00 to 18.00 (winter) and 20.00 (summer) but closed on Wednesdays. Woe betide anybody who makes the climb on a Wednesday with hope in their heart. (36.709431, -4.629123)

Good news for the less energetic is that you can drive up the hill to the back of the hermitage, and stroll along the newly-improved stone path to the sanctuary. (36.708016, -4.628039)

Booking.com