Saint Anthony hermitage: An example of earth rammed wall in a reconquest church

Abstract

Reconquest churches shape is a religious building typology of the Mediterranean gothic architecture. This sort of church is characterized by a quick and easy way to be built, and they are low height, with a rectangular shape with diaphragm arches, gable roof made by wooden beams, backboard and ceramic tiles. The walls are made with native nature materials as regular stone, ashlar stone or in an unusual case as San Antoni de Xàtiva Chapel, made with rammed earth wall. This chapel is located outside of the Valencian town of Xàtiva and, unfortunately, it has a dilapidated condition. This heritage building offers a wide range of building solutions for a rammed-earth wall chapel, and uncommon case of the religious architecture. Even in this building is mixed two Valencian traditional forms of building, tapia valenciana and ceramic tile vaults.