Candelaria Hermitage

The Virgin of Candelaria, the patron of the Canary Islands, was built on an elevated area in Colmenar in supposed gratitude to a marine ship that miraculously escaped death during a storm along the Malaga coast, according to traditional lore. The chapel is Baroque, and was constructed during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, although the architect is anonymous. The Hermitage has been remodeled several times over the years, including the construction of a single nave with chancel and chapel. The ship is rectangular, ending in a large semicircular triumphal arch that leads to a raised presbytery.