Ermita del Humilladero

The Ermita del Humilladero is a small hermitage or humilladero of traditional religious character located in La Alberca, in the province of Salamanca, Castilla y León, next to one of the old accesses to the town center. Its location responds to the historical function of the humilladeros: oratories of entrance and exit of the town, linked to the prayer of travelers and neighbors before starting way or returning to the town. The construction dates back to the last third of the 16th century, according to concordant informative references on the Albercan heritage. Architecturally it presents a popular and sober typology, with square plant and granite masonry factory reinforced with ashlars in the corners. The small portico or portalillo of the facade, covered and supported by columns of Ionic order on plinths, reinforces its image of rural religious architecture. Among its patrimonial elements the image of the Cristo del Humilladero stands out, a piece of strong local devotion. The hermitage also maintains an active presence in the popular religiosity of La Alberca, since the Christ is taken out in procession on Holy Thursday within the Holy Week of the municipality. Its value lies not only in its architecture, but also in its integration in the historical ensemble of La Alberca and in the network of small devotional constructions that articulate the traditional accesses to the village, within the cultural landscape of the Sierra de Francia.