Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, Getafe, Catholic hermitage church in Cerro de los Ángeles, Spain.
The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles is a Catholic church in Getafe consisting of a single nave with a barrel vault and a small transept topped by a lantern dome. It is built of stone and brick, with slate spires. The image of the Virgin Mary venerated here as Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles is the patroness of Getafe and its diocese.
The first chapel is thought to have been built in the 11th century, after Alfonso VI took Madrid, on the site of an Arab defensive watchtower. It was destroyed in the 14th century, and construction of the present building on the same spot began in the 17th century. The work was completed in the 18th century, but after the Civil War the architect Rodolfo García-Pablos rebuilt it in 1945.
The hermitage is dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, patroness of Getafe and of the diocese of Getafe. The image venerated here is a wooden statue of the Virgin kept in the single-nave church, and the dedication links the building to the town's patronal devotion.
The building sits on a hilltop with good views over the surrounding area and is freely accessible from outside. Visitors should know that access to the interior may be restricted to certain hours, and sturdy shoes are recommended for the climb.
The first bishop of the Diocese of Getafe, Francisco José Pérez y Fernández-Golfín, is buried beneath the lantern dome of the small transept. The dome is the only one in the building, so his tomb sits directly under its light. The hermitage is also dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, patroness of Getafe and of the diocese.
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