HERMITAGE OF THE POND OF DÉU DE BERÀ

This sanctuary, whose name could be translated as "Our Lady of the Rock", is located at the top of a red stone cliff. A fortified castle, first mentioned in a document dated 1230, was located here, before a hermitage was built in 1299 to house a statue of the Virgin Mary. Although not easily accessible, the building was repeatedly vandalized: in 1811, Napoleon's troops looted the sanctuary; it was rebuilt and destroyed again during the Spanish Civil War, when the locals decided to erect a statue of the Virgin that was stolen in 1979. In 1980, a new sculpture - still visible today - was installed in the temple. Legend has it that during the Reconquesta period, a Moorish king was driven to this place with the intention of plundering it, and while he was inside the sanctuary, he was caught in a furious storm that blew out all the candles. As he tried to flee with his booty to the bottom of the cliff, his horse, frightened by such a wild weather, skidded and threw his mount to the bottom of a ravine... The trace left by the horse at the edge of the cliff can still be seen today, at the place called the Baixada del Rei Moro (the Descent of the Moorish King). Whether you believe the legend or not, the walk to the sanctuary is still recommended!