Sant Antoni of the Tossal. (Clicad to see greater image).

In it practically limits border that separates the terms of the populations of Alàs, Cerc and the Seu de Urgell, in the place known like the "Tossal", is a singular hermitage, relatively modern construction, and that is, by its situation, an excellent watchtower that rises over level of the capital and the its environs. Indeed for that reason he is visible from any place of that we have mentioned, simultaneously that surprises the traveller with its whiteness and forms architectonic, which causes that many identify in the distance to this construction like a meteorological observatory. The history that accompanies the hermitage by Sant Antoni of the Tossal, as is known it, consecrated to Sant Antoni de Padua, pattern of the union of the constructors, is really peculiar and interesting. The villagers of their environs and the students of last times, tell that Antoni Sacases, an old neighbor of the zone, authentic patron of the work, married with a beautiful young person and who you envy them by the beautiful lady did not take to appear. The boy, that as distant relatives explain did not know to read nor to write, learned during the military service and even arrived to be delegated. The circumstances took it, like a many others, to travel towards the Américas, in where they count, it made a great fortune.

In a trip of return towards Catalonia, frankly complicated, and in which a storm put in serious danger its life, it made think to the man the worse thing. It was entrusted, like last remedy, to Sant Antonio to whom it promised that yes it saved the life would construct a consecrated hermitage Santo of who he himself took the name. Everything indicates that Sant Antonio listened to its plegarias, and Antoni Sacases was able to arrive again at the Alt Urgell. Of course, it had to fulfill his promise then. In fact, the same one, did not have time to see the finished work and left the legacy, the order and the responsibility to construct the chapel into the hands of doctor Dou and of the phamacist of the Seu de Urgell, the Lopez Riberaigua, who fulfilled desires of Antoni Sacases. The goodness of this urgelense is not only remembered by this unusual construction, but   also by the details that tapeworm towards its neighbors, in its trips of return to the home. This way which is explained that when returned from America it had by custom to take to toys to the children and children of Alàs, as it is logical, put contentísimos to smallest. Now, a tablet in the church of Sant Antoni of the Tossal remembers the name of this man, the rest of which have been resting for more than 70 years in a pantheon of the cemetery of Alàs. The chapel, that was finished towards end of years 20, is a modern construction that consists of a single ship, with an altar presided over, as it is logical, by the figure of Sant Antoni de Padua. The building finishes, by the part of above, in form of cupola and with a cross. All the greater altar is covered of a careful small stone mosaic. As we have said before, the panoramic one that it is descried from the Tossal is magnificent, due to its privileged situation. The hermitage, that at the moment is center of devotion of many urgelenses, and mainly of the neighbors of the next localities like Alàs and Cerc, needed, more ago than 20 years back, of a restoration in the tile roof, protecting it with impermeable materials. Although every Sunday is not made mass, the urgelenses are many that choose the hermitage of the Tossal to marry, to make the first comunión or to baptize to the small one, is frequent and normal to be in this place to people who raise or lower by the way, normally on foot, after to have made their plegarias or orations to Santo.

 

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