Los Vidales brings together cultural history in different forms: the hermitage and the Cistercian monastery reflect religious traditions, while former school and country house buildings make the local architectural history tangible. There is also a pilgrimage with a fixed date. This gives you two perspectives to consider when planning your trip: you can focus on architectural styles and construction periods, or plan your stay around a religious festival.
Architecture: Religious Building and Former Schoolhouse
The Ermita de los Santos MĂ©dicos dates from the 18th century. Its structure consists of a single nave, two side wings, a small transept and a dome.
The Escuelas en Los Vidales illustrate a different type of building. This single-storey country house formerly served as a public school and has a gabled roof. On the main façade, rendered surfaces meet cornices made of solid bricks. The Escuelas are a protected building listed at protection level 3. Unlike the Ermita, the focus here is on a former school building and its country house form rather than a religious building.
The Hacienda Los Vidales, also known as Casa de Juan Bolea, was built in the first half of the 20th century. Both names refer to the same building.
Monastery and Religious Life
The Cistercian monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Paz was built between 1972 and 1978 on an estate in the Los Vidales area. It was founded by the Cistercian Abbey of Santa MarĂa de San JosĂ© in Alloz, Navarre. The monastery welcomes people seeking periods of retreat and prayer; if they wish, they can take part in the community’s liturgy. If you are planning such a stay, make sure to contact the monastery in advance. The two religious sites differ in age and role: the 18th-century Ermita is the destination of the pilgrimage, while the monastery was built between 1972 and 1978 and welcomes people seeking retreat and prayer; participation in the liturgy is possible there upon request.
Pilgrimage and Local Festival Tradition
The hermitage of Los Vidales is dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian. The RomerĂa de Los Santos MĂ©dicos takes place on 26 September, travelling from La Palma to the hermitage to honour the same saints. The traditional festivals in their honour were revived by the residents of La Palma in 1990. At midday, the pilgrimage ends with a traditional paella competition.
Understanding Building History by Period and Function
The construction dates span from the 18th century to the 1970s. For a historical overview, you can compare the Ermita, Hacienda and monastery by their construction periods; for an architectural perspective, the nave, dome and façade of the Escuelas offer concrete points of difference.
Discover more destinations: Caravaca De La Cruz, El Salado, LorquĂ, Aljucer, Sangonera la Verde, El Saladillo, Calasparra, CehegĂn.
For the broader travel overview: Murcia.
