emptiness & solitude

nuestra señora de los dolores (monflorite), virgen del vallejo (alcozar)

san bartolomé (ucero), santa cristina de lena (san lorenzo de felgueras)

san andres apostol (soto de san esteban), san vicente (cervera de pisuerga)

la immaculada concepción (guijosa), santissima trinidad (iturgoyen)

*slaughtering: the word ermita, which has a similar structure in all languages derived from latin, holds the same meaning as its equivalents in non-latin languages. it always refers to an uninhabited or isolated place. in romance languages it comes from the latin word eremus, again derived from greek eremos, which means deserted. in spain, the use of the hermitage, or ermita, has shifted throughout history, but it has always been an isolated sanctuary or chapel. belgian photographer sebastian schutyser has dedicated himself to his project "ermita" for the last seven years. he has been wandering around in northern spain looking for early christian and romanesque hermitages in rural aeras.it is truly amazing how this photographic mission has managed to capture such intense and moving images and convey the significance of such spaces. hopefully a better appreciation of this often neglected heritage will form an essential step in a changing attitude towards its preservation.