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In the Photos of the Readers of La Vanguardia we can admire the hermitage and the Tower of L’Aldea, in the Baix Ebre region, a very beautiful and, at the same time, interesting complex.
It is also known as the Torre de la Ermita and is considered the most notable heritage element of the town. It is cataloged as a Cultural Asset of National Interest.
Its proximity to the hermitage of Santa Maria and the Plaza de Bous, together with the excavated remains of the old castle, give the complex a tourist attraction.
According to the details of the L’Aldea City Council, the current tower, except for the base, is a reconstruction from 1936, after it had been partially demolished in 1914.
It has a unique basilical plan – some authors see it as “rectangular with two rounded edges” – which has a straight north side and a round south side.
The total height of the tower is 20 meters. It has three floors and a terrace with battlements. On each floor there is a rectangular window that faces north. The base is covered by a wide slope, in the rounded part.
The door is located on the north face, 1.5 meters from the ground, built in a round point with five stone voussoirs. Above the door there are three tombstones, with inscriptions and a heraldic shield. They refer to the different restorations and reconstructions that the tower has undergone, while the heraldic shield probably belongs to the Jordà family, who have been owners since the 16th century.
We already find the hermitage or church of Santa Maria documented in 1161. At that time the city depended on Tortosa, a fact that changed in 1359, when it became dependent on the abbot of Benifassà.
It is worth mentioning the existence of a milestone, found inside the hermitage, which could be from the claudian period (c. 44 AD) and which, if so, would be confirmation of the existence of a roman coastal route, parallel to the Via Augusta that was drawn in the interior.