Hermitage of Santa Paula

The hermitage of Santa Paula, located in the rural district of Vessanes, about 1.5 km from the center of Dénia, was founded between the late fourteenth and early fifteenth century by the hermit Catalina Bas, on the ruins of an old Andalusian farmhouse. This small temple, with a single nave divided into three sections with diaphragm arches, is one of the most representative examples of the Levantine medieval hermitage style.

The façade, with a gabled roof and a lintel door from the 18th century, was renovated during that century, while the original entrance is still preserved under an arch in the northern wall. Inside, there is a modern carving of Santa Paula (1943) by the Valencian artist Antonio Greses Ferrer, located behind the altar.

It is one of the so-called “hermitages of conquest” of Dénia. They are hermitages built during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, with similar architectural features. In Dénia there are three hermitages of conquest: this hermitage, the hermitage of Santa Lucia and the hermitage of San Juan.

Useful data

• Walking option: low-difficulty hiking route of about 20 minutes one way from Plaza Jaime I along the Camí de Santa Paula (paved road).
• Limited public access: it is open only on January 26, the day of the pilgrimage and festivity in honor of Santa Paula, with mass, procession, porrat (traditional market) and typical sweets. Outside this date it remains closed to the interior.