The area of El Castell, in the highest part of the historic centre, is undoubtedly the most emblematic place in Finestrat. There is the Hermitage of Santissim Crist del Remei, which this year celebrates its first centenary and to celebrate it a whole series of activities have been organized, which will start this Sunday, November 10 and will last for a whole year.
Possibly, in Finestrat, it all began in what is now known as El Castell. It is the highest area, therefore, the safest in ancient times, because it was the ideal place to see if someone approached by land or sea. In the Arab period, a castle was erected and, after the conquest of the territory by Christian troops, the first church was built.
A century ago, in 1924, the residents of Finestrat wanted to build a hermitage in this beautiful place. To do this, they decided to put together the money necessary to build it. This effort became a reality on November 9, 1924, the day it was inaugurated. It was built on the remains of an old chapel that housed the image of the Crucified Christ, which was the last step of a Way of the Cross that no longer exists today. It is dedicated to the Christ of the Remedy, from which it takes its name.
Today it is one of the most visited places in the municipality. The Hermitage, which was restored at the beginning of this century, rigorously following the original structure, decoration and colors, is part of an architectural complex, in which the Amphitheater is the other undisputed element. From there, the views are unbeatable. You can see the Mediterranean Sea, in all its splendour on the Costa Blanca, the Puig Campana, which rises majestically above the Hermitage, and the set of roofs that populate the old town of the municipality, among which the bell tower of the Church of Sant Bertomeu stands out.
The next twelve months will serve to remember the feat that the inhabitants of this town made to build this hermitage. The events to commemorate its centenary will begin on November 10, at 10:00 a.m., with an exhibition of photographs of the day of its inauguration in 1924, made by the doctor and humanist intellectual Ángel Pascual Devesa. This exhibition has been possible thanks to the donation made by his family to the Municipal Archive of Finestrat. Afterwards, there will be a mass celebrated in the gardens around the temple.