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I share in La Vanguardia Readers’ Photos these photographs of the beautiful and sober hermitage of San Saturio, in Soria, which embedded in the rock presides over the course of the Duero.
It is a temple of lovers who engrave their love on the trees or on padlocks anchored on the river bridge in front of the hermitage.
A walk through its surroundings is a balm for the spirit that comforts and encourages you to return again and again. The hermitage and its santeros are also a reference for literary works of a traditional nature, such as El santero de San Saturio, by Gaya Nuño. There is even a peculiar brotherhood of Santo Saturio, which celebrates book day.
The hermitage stands out in the landscape, as seen in the general plane photograph. We are next to the Duero River and the temple clings to the rocky cut of the San Ana mountain range and the cave of the primitive hermitage.
It is believed that the Templars of San Polo monopolized access to the Peñalba cave on which the hermitage was built. According to tradition, the Visigoth anchorite San Saturio, patron saint of the city of Soria, lived there, under whose patronage the temple has been located since the 16th century.
As a curiosity, a scale model of this religious building, which was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2021, is located in the Mudéjar de Olmedo Theme Park.
