San Antonio Abad Hermitage - Bèlgida

Data

Phone: ---

Address: C ERMITA S/N 46868

Email: ---

Open holidays: Yes

Map

The hermitage was built in 1721. It is located 300 meters from the municipality. Currently the hermitage celebrates the feast of "Sant Antoni" on January 17. It consists of a single nave with a half-barrel vault, lunettes and simulated windows, except one, which gives light over the door. The ship has a measurement of 15'75 X 5'04 = 80'95 square meters, without counting 1'30 meters that on each side have altars in the background. Outside the hermitage and forming part of it there are still two building bodies; the one on the right, once used to house the hermit and later served as shelter for a poor family who was in charge of cleaning, and the one on the left, better known as the classroom, was first assigned to children's school, after to House of Charity and lately to serve as lazaretto in cases of epidemic. Between one and the other, there is a portico formed by three arches, which gives way to the oratory. Although the license to realize the hermitage was granted on July 11, 1718, already during the parochial visits of 1645 and 1658 the works were very advanced. These did not reach a happy ending until July 28, 1721 when D. Lorenzo Bellvis, canon of Valencia, blessed the work and celebrated the first Mass there. The first teaching was given in the hall called the classroom of the hermitage until 1858 when the school was moved to the town center, and the inauguration of the aforementioned place for the House of Charity was celebrated with great pomp in the same year. They placed 22 beds with pallet, 2 tables and some benches under the care of the kind father, soul of the foundation, Fr. Vicente Pla, whose name reached throughout the province just fame and esteem for the excellence of his virtues. Currently, the hermitage celebrates the feast in honor to San Antonio Abad on January 17. In the morning, the image of the Saint is transferred, from the parish to the hermitage, processionally; there  a mass is celebrated and later it returns, in the same form, to the parochial temple. After the mass, the blessing of the animals is celebrated.