The Chapel of the Rapture

The Chapel of the Rapture of Saint Ignatius (Capella del Rapte de Sant Ignasi) is a place of worship located in plaça de Sant Ignasi in Manresa. The current chapel was built within the premises of the former Lower Hospital, also known as the Hospital of Saint Lucy (Santa Llúcia), of medieval origin, where Saint Ignatius of Loyola used to stay during his first months in the city. In the mid-14th century, a private adjoining chapel dedicated to Saint Lucy was built by the guild of masons and stonecutters.

The testimonies gathered during the canonization process of Saint Ignatius describe a highly significant event related to the saint’s stay at the hospital. On one occasion, during a prayer session with other pilgrims, the poor, and the sick, Ignatius lost consciousness. He remained motionless in that same spot for eight days and eight nights. Today, this event is known as “The Rapture of Saint Ignatius.”

The lasting popular devotion to the figure of Saint Ignatius, the establishment of the Society of Jesus in Manresa, and the growing number of Ignatian visitors and pilgrims led to the transformation of the old hospital into a chapel dedicated to the episode of the Rapture. Since then, visitors can admire a wooden sculpture depicting a reclining Saint Ignatius, which has survived to this day.

During the early weeks of the Spanish Civil War, both the Chapel of the Rapture and the Chapel of Saint Lucy were completely destroyed. It was not until the 1950s that the entire architectural complex was rebuilt, adopting a historicist and neo-Gothic style. The only preserved element from the original Gothic complex is the old hospital portal, which today serves as the connecting point between the two chapels.