Virgin of the Fountain

The Gothic-Mudejar sanctuary · Peñarroya de Tastavins (Teruel)

In Peñarroya de Tastavins, the sanctuary of the Virgin of the Fountain —with its 14th-century Gothic-Mudejar hermitage— is one of the most beautiful religious complexes in eastern Teruel, linked to a fountain and an ancient spring.

Origin and history

Tradition tells that in the 13th century, a shepherd boy found an image of the Virgin Mary by a spring, among brambles, which led to the construction of the first hermitage near the spring, later damaged by river floods. It is a story of pious tradition.

Documented evidence shows that the current Gothic hermitage "de Arriba" (Upper Hermitage) was built in a safer location in the 14th century. It is one of the finest examples of religious art in eastern Teruel. Construction began in 1341, with the founding of the Confraternity of the Virgin of the Fountain, and was completed around 1360, with a Mudéjar roof. The complex was expanded with a cloister in the 16th century due to the influx of pilgrims, and also includes the Baroque hermitage "de Abajo" (Lower Hermitage) and a guesthouse.

Patronage and canonical coronation: these are not clearly stated in the sources.