The Life of Saint Diego de Alcalá

The figure of San Diego de Alcalá is one of the most significant historical and spiritual figures in San Nicolás del Puerto. Although he achieved universal fame through the city where he died, Alcalá de Henares, he was born in this mountain village at the beginning of the 15th century. Before joining the Franciscan Order, he led a simple life devoted to work and prayer, circumstances that would profoundly shape his character.

As a Franciscan friar, he carried out extensive charitable work in various monasteries across Andalusia, the Canary Islands and later in Rome, where he was noted for the care he provided to the sick during an epidemic. His humility and dedication meant that his reputation for holiness spread rapidly, and he was canonised by Pope Sixtus V in 1588. Over time, devotion to him crossed the Atlantic and gave its name to the Franciscan mission that gave rise to the present-day city of San Diego, in California.

On the outskirts of the town stands the Hermitage of San Diego, built in the late 15th century and considered one of the finest examples of vernacular religious architecture in the region. Of Mudejar origin, the building has undergone various alterations throughout its history, although it retains the austere character typical of these small rural shrines.

Near the chapel stands the famous Encina de San Diego, a centuries-old tree closely linked to local tradition. Its distinctive acorns, bearing a natural heart-shaped mark, have fuelled one of the town’s most popular legends for generations, becoming an inseparable symbol of devotion to the saint.

Every year, the pilgrimage and celebrations in honour of San Diego continue to bring together locals and visitors at this very spot. Beyond its religious significance, the complex comprising the chapel and the holm oak represents one of the places in San Nicolás del Puerto with the greatest historical, heritage and cultural significance, where memory, tradition and the landscape continue to form a single, unique space.