Ermita
Situated at 1,111 m at the top of Montcàtil
The hermitage of Sant Cristòfol de Benassal is situated at the summit of Montcàtil, at 1,111 metres altitude, within the municipality of Benassal, in the district of l'Alt Maestrat. It is catalogued as a Site of Local Relevance with the category of Monument of Local Interest.
According to tradition, the inhabitants of Culla would travel on pilgrimage to this sanctuary before building their own hermitage dedicated to Sant Cristòfol in the late eighteenth century, which testifies to the supra-municipal relevance the site had as a centre of worship for the Alt Maestrat district.
The temple is the destination of a popular pilgrimage in which participants celebrate a mass and share countryside food. Among the most characteristic elements of the celebration are flour cakes known as primots and the Gozos — or «Gojos» — in honour of the saint, verses of popular devotion sung next to the hermitage.
Access is via the C-100 road, through the path known as Camí de les Serrades. The Generalitat Valenciana has designated this site as one of nine official points of astronomical observation in the Valencian Community, due to its elevated position and the low light pollution in the area.