Sant Bartomeu de les Camposines

Sant Bartomeu de les Camposines is a solitary hermitage chapel set on a small hillock in the municipality of La Fatarella, in the Terra Alta region of Catalonia. Standing today in near isolation among dry, rolling terrain, it was once the heart of a settlement whose foundations are the only trace left behind.

Where did the settlement come from?

The story begins in the early 13th century. In 1209, the commander of Ribera, Pere de Castellnou, granted a settlement charter to Pere de Brusca and other willing colonists, giving rise to the village of Camposines. Under Templar rule, the settlement fell under the Commandery of Ascó. It was no quiet corner of the world, though: in 1291 and 1293, Camposines was sacked and burned during internal conflicts that swept through the area. The chapel, built in the early 1200s, served as the settlement's parish church throughout this period.

What will you see on site?

The building is a single-nave church with its chancel facing east, modest yet well-proportioned — the interior measures roughly 10 meters long, just under 6 meters wide, and 4 meters high. The plain, flat-walled apse and the rough stonework point clearly to Templar builders, and the choice of patron saint, Bartholomew, reinforces that connection. Around the chapel, the remains of old house walls are still visible — quiet evidence of a village that eventually emptied out and disappeared.

Right beside the hermitage stands a more recent addition: the Memorial de les Camposines, an ossuary monument dedicated to those who fell in the Battle of the Ebro, one of the bloodiest confrontations of the Spanish Civil War. The pairing of a medieval pilgrimage chapel with a 20th-century war memorial gives this small site an unusually dense layering of history, spanning from medieval settlement to a tragedy less than a century old.

How do you get there?

Sant Bartomeu de les Camposines sits within the municipality of La Fatarella, at the heart of Terra Alta — a region known for its wine, olive oil, and landscapes still marked by the Battle of the Ebro. The easiest way to reach it is by car along the local roads leading into the rural interior of the municipality; there is no regular public transport serving the area, so arranging your own transport is essential. Because of the chapel's remote setting, bring water and sturdy footwear — the final stretch runs through fields and dry hills.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable seasons, with milder temperatures than the height of summer in Terra Alta and the surrounding fields, vineyards, and dry hills at their most scenic. Once a year, on the feast day of Saint Bartholomew, pilgrims from neighboring villages make their way to the chapel, continuing a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sant Bartomeu de les Camposines still an active church? The site now functions as a hermitage and pilgrimage chapel — once a year, on the patron saint's feast day, it hosts a traditional procession from the surrounding villages.

What else can you find near the chapel? Right next to it stands the Memorial de les Camposines, an ossuary monument honoring those who died in the Battle of the Ebro, while the ruins of the old medieval settlement's house walls remain visible around the chapel itself.

Why is the chapel linked to the Knights Templar? The settlement of Camposines fell under the Templar Commandery of Ascó during the Middle Ages, and both the chapel's architecture and its dedication to Saint Bartholomew are typical of buildings raised by the order.

Is it worth combining this visit with other Terra Alta attractions? Yes — the region is known for its wine routes, olive oil mills, and numerous memorial sites connected to the Battle of the Ebro, making it easy to plan a full day of sightseeing around La Fatarella.