Ermita de San Roque

Ermita de San Roque in Fuente Álamo .

The Ermita of San Roque is a little miracle, the miracle being that it has managed to survive 400 years intact, given its turbulent history of abandonment and repair.

Fuente Álamo evolved around the water source which bears its name, a simple chapel in the location of the main churchof San Agustínserving the needs of the population. In 1520 a farming concession was issued which encouraged more residents to settle permanently in the area, and in 1583 the first simple chapel of San Agustín was amplified to become a more solid structure.

This little hermitage, dedicated to San Roque,  was built sometime between these two dates, although the church of  San Agustín remained the more substantial of the churches in Fuente Álamo and was amplified several times to become the impressive building it is today.

However, this chapel dedicated to San Roque is the oldest and most historic chapel remaining in the municipalityof Fuente Álamo, as much of the structure which remains today dates back to the late 16^th century, pretty much as it would have been at the time of its original construction.

It was used as a place of worship until the 17th century, but by the 18^th century  had fallen into a state of neglect. It´s location on the outskirts of town, and the extension of the churchof San Agustín, meant that it was superfluous to requirements, so it was therefore agreed that it should be equipped as a hospital, where the sick and homeless could be taken in. However, lack of space meant that ultimately it was necessary to construct a second building alongside the original chapel, which superseded the ermita. This was demolished at a later date.

During the reign of Carlos IV the need arose to put the royal treasury’s books in order, and all property belonging to hospitals, hospices and poorhouses was put up for public auction. On 8^th May 1804the properties of the Cofradía de San Roque, consisting of the church and the land around it, were acquired by José Verger de Villafranca, a resident of Murcia, for the sum of 425 reales.

Some years later, however,  there was an outbreak of fever in Fuente Álamo, and the Ermita was abandoned again.

But all was not over for the Ermita, as  Magdalena Hernández, wife of the tradesman Antonio Olivares, decided to pay for repair and reform work to be carried out.

All that documentary evidence tells us is that she was fulfilling a promise she had made to San Roque, although there is no hint of what miracle San Roque had achieved on her behalf to incentivize  her to rehabilitate the little hermitage yet again, but she contracted Antonio Caballero, a craftsman from Murcia, to create an altarpiece and a bell for the chapel.

This was not the last of the ups and downs in the building’s history, though. During the Civil War it was ransacked by the militia, there were various moves to demolish it, and at one point it was even proposed that the headquarters of the Guardia Civil be built alongside it, absorbing the chapel into its own structure.

Finally it was restored yet again in 2001, the  latest restoration of the building carried out by Agustín Carrascosa, who also acquired the image of the saint which is housed inside the church, bought from the "Anónima Mató" workshops in Olot. ( Gerona). 

Today it is closed most of the time, but used from time to time as a venue for cultural activities and exhibitions, the shady gardens providing a pleasant location for local residents and their dogs.

Where is the Ermita de San Roque, Fuente Álamo?

The Ermita is tucked away, hidden behind the main streets. Its set at the top of a small hill, behind the Alamo printworks, and the main indication that there is something interesting is the presence of a fountain set in a tiled floor at the foot of the steps. Walk up the steps, and it´s a real surprise to find the hermitage, set in a triangle of land, with the streets Avenida de Andalucía, Calle de Juan Pérez and Calle Pedro Guerrero surrounding it.

The link is to Calle Juan Pérez, Click Ermita de San Roque