The Alarcos hermitage in Ciudad Real

It is located on a hill 8 km from the center of Ciudad Real, in the N-430 Road.

This Hermitage  was built as a Royal church by King Alfonso the VIII of Castilla in the XII Century in rural Romanesque Byzantine columns, its cover is kept in the Cathedral of Ciudad Real to be known as «The Door of Forgiveness.»

 

It was destroyed after the defeat in the battle of Alarcos by the Almohads in 1195, is located 8 km from the center of Ciudad Real in what was the origin of Ciudad Real and is the only remaining Alarcos stocking, projected Alfonso VIII King of Castile after the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa as Cistercian Gothic church, has added to the XV and XVII.

Rebuilt after the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, has elements of the thirteenth century as the entrance arch and apse, is a basilica and has three naves separated by pillars, some capitals have human figures in Romanesque style with many similarities with those of the church of St. James of Ciudad Real, also kept its coffered ceiling resemblance to St. James church. Stresses its Gothic tracery rosette consists of 19 lobes of rosettes framed in a box.

It measures 30 meters long and 15 meters wide.

It was declared a National Monument in 1980.

It was burned by Napoleonic troops in 1809. In 1936 it was destroyed his Gothic Virgin sculpture.

In this Alarcos Hermitage, is celebrated every year,  The Medieval music Festival of Alarcos, from July 19.