Ermita del Santísimo Cristo del Refugio

The Ermita del Santísimo Cristo del Refugio is a hermitage or small temple of worship located at the entrance of Candelario, in the province of Salamanca, in a large esplanade presided over by the Cruz de término. Its exact location corresponds to Candelario (Castilla y León), at coordinates 40.36704, -5.74317. It is a building with a single nave topped by a rectangular main chapel. The tradition and the patrimonial descriptions point out as an outstanding element its altarpiece, coming according to the oral tradition from the Dominican convent of Béjar and transferred to the hermitage after the Disentailment; other sources describe it as a wooden altarpiece of baroque or rococo character. The chronology is not totally uniform in the sources consulted: it is widely placed between the XV and XVIII centuries, while other references relate it to the XVIII century. In any case, it is part of the religious and devotional landscape of Candelario, where the Cristo del Refugio maintains a strong link with the local community and with the historical entrance to the town.