The hermitage of the Mare de Déu de la Consolació stands on a slate (llicorella) hilltop about 3 km north of Gratallops, near the Coll de la Vaca pass, with the finest views over the village and the DOQ Priorat landscape. Originally dedicated to the Mare de Déu de Gràcia, it took its current dedication in 1544, when Abbot Pere Domènec —born in Gratallops, abbot of Vilabertran and canon of Barcelona— sponsored a major renovation: the old semicircular Romanesque apse was replaced with a chancel with two lateral chapels and a rectangular apse covered by star-ribbed vaulting, while the original Romanesque nave (12th-13th centuries) was kept, with its slightly pointed barrel vault and no ornamentation. The building belonged to the Carthusian monastery of Santa Maria d'Escaladei.
The hermitage has suffered repeated damage over its history: it was desecrated during the Peninsular War (1811), a fire destroyed its interior fittings in 1933, and it was again badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War (1936); it was rebuilt and reopened for worship in 1947. It is listed as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. It now remains closed for most of the year, though a popular gathering (aplec) and shared meal takes place on the Sunday following August 15. It is reached by a narrow, cypress-lined dirt track off the road toward La Vilella Baixa; a trail also links it to Torroja del Priorat and La Vilella Alta. At its foot lies the old-vine plot known as 'L'Ermita', one of the most acclaimed vineyard sites in Priorat.
- Best forviewpoints, romanesque-heritage, short-walk, photography, wine-heritage
- OpeningRoman tancada la major part de l'any (només oberta per a funcions religioses puntuals); aplec i dinar popular el diumenge següent al 15 d'agost. S'hi accedeix per un camí de terra vorejat de xiprers des de la carretera cap a la Vilella Baixa.
- AddressTuró vora Gratallops, 43737 Gratallops
Imatge: Angela Llop · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
Sources: enciclopedia.cat · turismepriorat.org · ca.wikipedia.org
Last updated: August 2026