A modest, lonely shrine hidden in the heart of an ancient volcano (19 photos)

In the La Garrotxa region of Catalonia, Spain, lies the Santa Margarida volcano. Eleven and a half thousand years ago, the earth's crust cracked, releasing millions of tons of magma.





From these, a conical hill over six hundred meters high emerged. A wide, circular crater formed at its summit. Today, its floor is covered with a thick carpet of grass and shrubs, and the slopes of the volcano are covered with forest. And in the middle of this green amphitheater, right in the center of the crater, stands a Romanesque chapel.



Little is known about the Church of Santa Margarida itself, after which the volcano is named. All that is known for certain is that the original structure was destroyed during the Catalan earthquake of 1428. This suggests that it was built at least six centuries ago. The current building dates back to 1865.





Santa Margarida is part of the La Garrotxa volcanic zone, also known as the Olot volcanic field. It is located approximately 90 kilometers north of Barcelona. The zone contains approximately forty volcanic cones. None of them are active, and the last eruption occurred approximately eleven thousand years ago.



Unlike most volcanoes, which are capable of repeated eruptions, the La Garrotxa field is considered monogenetic. This means that each volcano within it has erupted only once in its history. However, the region remains seismically active, and tremors are felt periodically. The earthquake of 1428 was particularly powerful and caused significant damage.







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