The Council of Government has agreed to register the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Consolation of Tices, located in the municipality of Ohanes (Almería), as a Cultural Interest Asset (BIC) with the typology of Monument in the General Catalog of Andalusian Historical Heritage at the request of the Ministry of Culture and Sport. This imposing neoclassical building is an example of rationalist architecture and has been the site of the celebration of the Virgin of Our Lady of Consolation of Tices since before 1625.
This property, which will be protected with the highest level of protection, is located in the hamlet of Tices, within the so-called Alta Alpujarra, in the Sierra Nevada Natural Park. The volumes of the sanctuary exceed what is considered an hermitage, surpassing most of the parish churches in the region and serving as a fundamental landmark in a landscape where it constitutes its hallmark.
The building, designed by architect Juan Puchol, began construction in August 1800 on the basis of the previous one and was completed in 1804, although ornamentation work continued until at least 1811 with the sculpture of the Virgin of Consolation on the main facade. It has a single entrance on the south facade and features a centralized floor plan, characteristic of neoclassicism.
In addition to the architectural, artistic, historical, ethnological, landscape, and technical values of the building, its representational values are noteworthy. The sanctuary and its titular Virgin have been the focal point of a celebration established before 1625. Throughout its history, the property has been a repository of strong devotion and worship to the Virgin of Our Lady of Consolation of Tices, as well as to San Marcos, the patron saint of Ohanes who shared the title for a period. This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, instilling a strong sense of identity and continuity in the region and the municipalities of Ohanes and Canjáyar in particular.
Furthermore, the sculpture of Our Lady of Consolation, created by the Granada sculptor Eduardo Espinosas Cuadros, and the Tices pillar located on the main facade of the temple will also be protected due to their connection to the monument.