There is a church at the very top of the hundreds of steps in the Santa Cruz neighborhood. (Santa Cruz is the colorful neighborhood with the painted and tiled doorways and booming flowers in a previous post.) The day we climbed set after set of stairs to explore, we were tired when we reached the top. Then we espied La Ermita above us and set it aside for another day.
La Ermita translates to The Hermitage. Like the Basilica and the Cathedral, La Ermita de Santa Cruz was built on the site of a 12th Century Islamic mosque. This little church was renovated later in that century and became a Christian temple dedicated as a place for monastic and contemplative prayer. The conversion of the mosque into a Christian temple was a symbolic act showing the consolidation of Christian power in the region of Alicante. Renovations have continued through the centuries as the church has suffered damage due to uprisings and culminating in severe damage during the Spanish Civil War.
When we arrived the chapel was closed. We explored the small plaza where it sits and looked out over the harbor. But just when we were about to walk away, some men refurbishing a paso (the mahogany platform to be used in the annual Easter procession in April) opened the doors. Except for a weekly Mass, being open to the public is a rare occurrence. We are so glad we lingered.
During the Easter celebration in Alicante the paso, supporting the massive holy figures and weighing just over a ton, is carried on the necks of the costaleros (“sack men” for their distinctive headdress) down the steep stairs to the city below.
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