Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Bienvenida

The Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Bienvenida is a hermitage or rural church located on the outskirts of Monteagudo de las Vicarías, in the province of Soria, Castilla y León, next to the historic border between Castilla and Aragón. It is a temple of devotional and patronal character, closely linked to the local traditions of the municipality and the festivities in honor of the Virgin of Bienvenida. The construction is documented prior to 1543 and was initially erected in the sixteenth century, although it has undergone subsequent reforms. Its construction responds to a sober architecture, with a single rectangular nave and square apse or rectangular main chapel, and externally presents an austere appearance, with masonry walls and buttress reinforcements. Among its most outstanding patrimonial elements is a baroque altarpiece in the interior, cited as one of the most valuable features of the building. A Renaissance doorway with incised geometric decoration has also been pointed out, reflecting the combination of construction and artistic phases typical of a temple with a long historical life. Because of its age, its continued religious use and its relationship with the local identity of Monteagudo de las Vicarías, the chapel is one of the most representative heritage resources of the town. In 1982 the file for its declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest was initiated, a fact that reinforces its relevance within the heritage of Soria.