Wanted: A Modern-Day Hermit To Look After A Remote Mountain Temple
Are you pure in spirit and willing to live on your own? Then this could be the perfect job for you!
A Spanish temple is seeking a hermit to take care of its remote property - located on top of a mountain.
The board of the Virgin of the Rock are offering a year’s contract to the successful applicant, who must agree to leave behind “all uncivilised and immoral activity” to qualify.
In exchange, the post offers free accommodation at the temple of the Mare de Deu de la Roca in the village of Mont-roig del Camp, Tarragona.
The job has been advertised on Facebook and the chosen person will spend a year there continuously.
Tasks include taking care of the cleaning of the church, the house, the square, the services and the local environment.
No details were given on the salary but the new hermit will have to pay a deposit of €1,000 for any damage that happens to the property while they are in charge.
But as most hermits are known not to have much cash, the deposit can be paid in instalments over the year.
The successful applicant, it says, will also have knowledge of restoration and customer services in order to service dining and lodging requirements at the sanctuary.
And they say it would be good if the applicant could also speak Catalan, and have knowledge of other languages.
“The person who will take care of the temple should bear in mind the religious and cultural character of the sanctuary, leaving out all uncivilised and immoral activity,” the ad says.
The offer is open until 31 August and applications must be submitted to the local entity.
The temple of Mare de Deu de la Roca is located over a rock in the mountain and is associated with a legend.
A Moor king is said to have stolen jewellery from the temple, escaped on horseback but then was struck by lightning, tumbling off the cliff.
It is said that some nights you can still see the silhouette of the king and the horse on the other side of the cliff.
(Pictures credited to CEN)
