ermita de Santa Ana

Ermita de Santa Ana is the ruin of a 16th-century Renaissance chapel standing a few kilometres outside El Toboso, a small town in the province of Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha. Perched alone on a hilltop among vineyards and farmland, the building has stood abandoned for decades and today survives only in fragments.

Where is the chapel located?

The ruin sits outside the town, on an unpopulated hill near a crossroads, roughly 4 km from the centre of El Toboso. It can be reached by following the TO-2999 road toward Campo de Criptana and then turning onto local farm tracks, whether on foot, by bike or by car. The surrounding countryside is classic La Mancha scenery — open fields, vineyards and scattered farm buildings, with no visitor facilities nearby.

What is known about its history?

The chapel dates to the 16th century and was built in the Renaissance style. Records show that by 1525, when El Toboso had around 300 households (roughly 1,200 residents), the municipality already had several hermitages scattered across its territory, Santa Ana among them. Before the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the building belonged to the Marquesa de Belmonte. It has since passed into private hands and fallen gradually into disrepair.

What remains of the original structure?

The chapel was laid out on a Latin-cross plan with a very short nave. Its thick walls combine rubble masonry with ashlar stone at the corners, and the roof originally rested on a timber "armadura de parhilera" frame. Of that structure, only four crossing arches and part of the drum that once supported the dome still stand — the rest, including the roof, has collapsed or disappeared.

Why is it on the Red List of Heritage?

On 7 February 2014, the heritage association Hispania Nostra added Ermita de Santa Ana to its Lista Roja (Red List), a registry of Spanish heritage sites at risk of disappearing. The listing cites ongoing abandonment, accumulated debris and vegetation, and a real risk of total collapse. The building carries no formal legal protection, and over the years looters have stripped away some of its stonework, including ashlar blocks. Local residents have repeatedly raised concerns about its condition and have called on the municipal government to look into the ownership situation and take steps to preserve what remains.

Can visitors go there?

There is no organised visitor access, ticket booth or on-site custodian — this is a ruin on private land, not a managed attraction. Because the structure is unstable, anyone visiting should keep a safe distance from the remaining walls and arches. Even so, the site draws the occasional history enthusiast or photographer, drawn by the silence of the surrounding fields and the atmosphere of a forgotten corner of La Mancha.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Ermita de Santa Ana? On a hilltop outside El Toboso, in the province of Toledo, about 4 km from the town centre, near a crossroads reached via the TO-2999 road toward Campo de Criptana.

How old is the chapel? It dates to the 16th century and was built in the Renaissance style; by 1525 it was already one of several hermitages scattered around the municipality of El Toboso.

What survives of the original building? Four arches from the crossing and part of the dome's supporting drum — the rest of the structure, including the roof, is gone.

Why is the chapel in ruins? It has been abandoned for decades with no legal protection, leading to looting and structural decay; since 2014 it has appeared on Hispania Nostra's Red List as a site at risk of total collapse.

Can you reach it without a car? Yes — it's accessible on foot or by bicycle via local farm tracks off the TO-2999 road, though there are no tourist facilities in the immediate area.