This hermitage, located in the district of Hortaleza, the former parish church of San Juan Evangelista, is the only building still standing from the ancient town of Canillas. It is a simple, modest building that showcases all the features of Madrid’s seventeenth century baroque architecture and contains mural paintings of historical and artistic interest. In 2022, it was declared a BIC Heritage Site in the Region of Madrid.
The hermitage of San Blas is known for its architectural and technical features, both in its sanctuary and in the naves and added elements, with outstanding artistic, cultural and historical values.
The archaeological studies carried out detected the existence of an early mediaeval church, probably from the fourteenth or fifteenth century, locating the remains of its foundations under the arches leading to the sanctuary chapels.
The current building would have been erected between the late seventeenth and eighteenth century, with simple, modest architecture, in line with Madrid’s seventeenth century baroque style. Its existence is first mentioned in a document dated 1427. In the late seventeenth century, major renovations were carried out in the church, at the initiative and expense of Baron Sebastián de Molinet, VII Lord of Canillas, giving rise to the new construction, built by the Masters Builders of Madrid Lucas Ruiz de Heredia and Marcos López.
The hermitage has a single nave with annexed quarters, built from brick and masonry. It is located on top of a small landscaped hill, surrounded by various terraced constructions that mask its isolation. The construction of the building was completed in 1698.
