Almería’s hidden ‘Sistine Chapel’ reopens after a seven-year, marble-and-fresco rebuild

A hidden gem in Almería's Almanzora Valley, the modest Santuario del Saliente hillside chapel has reopened after seven years of restoration work. This Sunday, September 6, worshippers and pilgrims will once again be able to enter the sanctuary that serves as the patron saint of Albox. The chapel's reopening marks the end of a comprehensive rebuilding project that included not only the restoration of its artwork but also new architectural features.

Titled the "Almería Michelangelo," local artist Andrés García Ibáñez spent years creating a complete cycle of paintings and frescoes depicting the Book of Revelation. The centerpiece is a monumental dome fresco, which was unveiled in 2023 and directly relates to the church's venerated image. The project also saw the installation of a new altar crafted from white Macael marble and the replacement of the flooring with a donation from Almería stone company Cosentino.

The sanctuary, which dates back to 1716, has survived royal land seizures, wartime destruction in 1936, and several decades of repair. Its patron saint, the early 18th-century Baroque image of the Virgin "La Pequeñica," was crowned in a Vatican-approved ceremony in 1988 and declared patron of Albox in 2019. The chapel's annual pilgrimage, Romería del Saliente, falls on September 8 and is recognized as an event of national tourist interest since 2002.