Medieval Monasteries of Spain: Cistercian, Benedictine & More

Visit medieval Spanish monasteries — Cistercian, Benedictine, Carthusian & Hieronymite houses with maps, photos, eras, orders & visiting info.

• La Cartuja de Granada: Carthusian Monastery in Spain — A Carthusian monastery famous for its extraordinary Baroque sacristy, considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Baroque art. Founded in 1506 on the si…
• San Isidoro del Campo: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A fortified Cistercian monastery near Santiponce, founded by Guzmán el Bueno in 1301. Its Gothic cloister and remarkable murals make it one of the most impor…
• Monasterio de la Rábida: Franciscan Monastery in Spain — A Franciscan monastery where Christopher Columbus planned his first voyage to the Americas. The friars here interceded with Queen Isabella on Columbus's beha…
• Cartuja de Jerez: Carthusian Monastery in Spain — A 15th-century Carthusian monastery near Jerez de la Frontera, known for breeding the famous Carthusian horse lineage and its Renaissance portal attributed t…
• Monasterio de San Jerónimo: Hieronymite Monastery in Spain — The first monastery founded in Granada after the Reconquista, housing the magnificent tomb of El Gran Capitán. Its Renaissance church is a masterpiece of And…
• Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — A monastery sheltered beneath a rock overhang in the Pyrenean foothills. A centre of religious and political power in the 11th and 12th centuries, it houses…
• Monasterio de Veruela: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — The first Cistercian monastery in Aragón, founded in 1146. Its massive fortified walls and the transition from Romanesque to Gothic make it an architectural…
• Monasterio de Piedra: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A 12th-century Cistercian monastery surrounded by spectacular waterfalls and a natural park. The monks here were the first in Europe to make chocolate, follo…
• Monasterio de Rueda: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A Cistercian monastery on the banks of the Ebro River, named after the great noria (water wheel) that irrigated its lands. A superb example of Cistercian arc…
• Monasterio de Sigena: Hospitaller Monastery in Spain — A Royal Monastery of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, founded by Queen Sancha of Castile. Once home to extraordinary Romanesque paintings, some tragically…
• San Salvador de Valdediós: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — Known as 'El Conventín', this tiny pre-Romanesque church (893 AD) stands beside a later Cistercian monastery. It represents the final flowering of Asturian p…
• Monasterio de Cornellana: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — A Benedictine monastery on the Camino de Santiago, founded by Countess Cristina in 1024. Its Romanesque church and Baroque cloister reflect centuries of Astu…
• Monasterio de San Pelayo: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — One of the oldest active monasteries in Spain, dating to the 10th century and still home to a community of Benedictine nuns in the heart of Oviedo.
• Santo Toribio de Liébana: Franciscan Monastery in Spain — Home to the Lignum Crucis, said to be the largest piece of the True Cross. One of Christianity's holiest sites and a major pilgrimage destination in the Pico…
• Colegiata de Santillana del Mar: Augustinian Monastery in Spain — A masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana features one of the finest Romanesque cloisters in northern Spain, with rema…
• Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — World-famous for its Romanesque cloister with exquisitely carved capitals and for the Gregorian chant recordings by its Benedictine monks that became an inte…
• Real Monasterio de las Huelgas: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A royal Cistercian convent founded by Eleanor of England and Alfonso VIII of Castile. Its abbess held extraordinary powers, able to grant titles, hear confes…
• Monasterio de San Pedro de Cardeña: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — The legendary monastery where El Cid left his wife Doña Jimena and daughters before riding into exile. One of the most important sites in Cidian legend and C…
• Santa María de Moreruela: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — The ruins of what was possibly the first Cistercian monastery in the Iberian Peninsula. Its apse with radiating chapels is unique in Spanish Cistercian archi…
• San Pedro de Arlanza: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — The romantic ruins of the 'cradle of Castile' — a Benedictine abbey where Fernán González, first independent Count of Castile, is said to have been raised an…
• Santa María de Huerta: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A magnificently preserved Cistercian monastery on the border of Castile and Aragón. Its Gothic refectory with a stunning rose window is considered the finest…
• Monasterio de San Millán de la Cogolla (Suso): Benedictine Monastery in Spain — The upper monastery where the first words written in Spanish (Glosas Emilianenses) were recorded in the 10th century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and birthp…
• Monasterio de San Millán de la Cogolla (Yuso): Benedictine Monastery in Spain — The grand lower monastery, known as 'El Escorial de La Rioja', housing a magnificent library and ivory coffers. Together with Suso, it forms a UNESCO World H…
• Monasterio de Valvanera: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — A remote Benedictine monastery in the Sierra de la Demanda, housing the patron virgin of La Rioja. Set among ancient beech forests, it has been a pilgrimage…
• Monasterio de Uclés: Order of Santiago Monastery in Spain — Known as 'El Escorial de La Mancha', this was the mother house of the Order of Santiago. The massive Renaissance-Baroque complex crowns a hilltop overlooking…
• Monasterio de Monsalud: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — The atmospheric ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian monastery in the Alcarria region. Its Gothic cloister and chapter house remain remarkably intact despite c…
• Monasterio de Montserrat: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — Catalonia's most sacred site, perched high in bizarre serrated mountains. Home to the Black Virgin (La Moreneta) and the world-famous Escolania boys' choir,…
• Monasterio de Poblet: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — The greatest Cistercian monastery in Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Royal pantheon of the Crown of Aragón, with magnificent Gothic cloisters and a f…
• Monasterio de Santes Creus: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — One of three great Cistercian monasteries in Catalonia (the 'Cistercian Triangle'), with the finest Gothic cloister in Spain. Royal tombs of Peter III and Ja…
• Sant Pere de Rodes: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — A spectacularly sited Benedictine monastery perched on a mountaintop above the Cap de Creus peninsula, with panoramic views to the Mediterranean and the Pyre…
• Monasterio de Ripoll: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — Known as the 'cradle of Catalonia', its Romanesque portal — the 'Bible in Stone' — is one of the finest examples of medieval sculpture in Europe. Founded by…
• Real Monasterio de Guadalupe: Hieronymite Monastery in Spain — A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Spain's most important pilgrimage destinations. Columbus brought Native Americans here to be baptized. Its architectu…
• Monasterio de Yuste: Hieronymite Monastery in Spain — The Hieronymite monastery where Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire retired and died in 1558. Set in the remote Vera valley, it embodies the end of th…
• Monasterio de Oseira: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — Known as 'the Galician Escorial' for its grand scale, this Cistercian monastery in the Ourense mountains has been continuously inhabited by monks for nearly…
• Monasterio de Sobrado dos Monxes: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A massive Cistercian monastery on the Camino de Santiago with a Baroque church of extraordinary proportions. Refounded in 1966, it once again houses a Trappi…
• Monasterio de Samos: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — One of the oldest monasteries in the Western world with continuous monastic life, featuring two cloisters — including Spain's largest — and connections to th…
• Santuario de Lluc: Augustinian Monastery in Spain — Mallorca's most sacred site, set in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. Home to the dark-skinned Virgin of Lluc (La Moreneta) and the famous Els Blauets boys'…
• Monasterio de La Real: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A 13th-century Cistercian monastery founded by James I the Conqueror after taking Mallorca from the Moors. It was the first Christian religious foundation on…
• Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial: Hieronymite Monastery in Spain — Philip II's colossal monastery-palace, the political and spiritual center of the Spanish Empire. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it houses a basilica, royal pa…
• Monasterio de Santa María de El Paular: Carthusian Monastery in Spain — The first Carthusian charterhouse in Castile, set in the stunning Lozoya Valley of the Sierra de Guadarrama. Its 15th-century Gothic altarpiece is one of the…
• Monasterio de los Jerónimos: Hieronymite Monastery in Spain — A grand Hieronymite monastery in the huerta of Murcia, now home to the Catholic University. Its Renaissance cloister and Baroque church are among the finest…
• San Ginés de la Jara: Augustinian Monastery in Spain — The atmospheric ruins of a monastery on the shores of the Mar Menor, associated with the legend of San Ginés and once a stopping point for pilgrims heading t…
• Monasterio de Leyre: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — The spiritual cradle of the Kingdom of Navarra, with an extraordinary Romanesque crypt from the 11th century. The monastery overlooks the Yesa reservoir and…
• Monasterio de Irache: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — A Benedictine monastery on the Camino de Santiago, famous for its 'wine fountain' that offers free wine to passing pilgrims. Its Romanesque church dates to t…
• Monasterio de La Oliva: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — One of the earliest Cistercian foundations in the Iberian Peninsula, with a beautifully austere Romanesque-Gothic church and a 14th-century Gothic cloister.
• Monasterio de Fitero: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — The first Cistercian monastery in Spain, whose abbot Raimundo de Fitero founded the Order of Calatrava in 1158 to defend the frontier fortress of Calatrava f…
• Colegiata de Zenarruza: Augustinian Monastery in Spain — A medieval collegiate church set in the misty Basque countryside, serving as a stop on the Northern Way of the Camino de Santiago. Its Gothic cloister offers…
• Santuario de Arantzazu: Franciscan Monastery in Spain — A striking modernist Franciscan sanctuary in the mountains of Gipuzkoa, rebuilt in the 1950s with contributions from avant-garde artists including Oteiza and…
• Monasterio de Santa María de la Valldigna: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A Cistercian monastery in the orange groves of the Valldigna valley, founded by James II of Aragón. According to legend, the king declared 'This valley is wo…
• Monasterio de El Puig: Mercedarian Monastery in Spain — A Mercedarian monastery on the hill where James I the Conqueror planned the reconquest of Valencia. It houses the Museum of Printing and Graphic Arts.
• Monasterio de San Zoilo: Cluniac Monastery in Spain — A Benedictine monastery on the Camino de Santiago in Carrión de los Condes, with a stunning Renaissance cloister by Juan de Badajoz. Now a luxury hotel.
• Monasterio de Santa María de Valbuena: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A well-preserved Cistercian monastery in the Ribera del Duero wine country, now home to the Las Edades del Hombre art exhibitions and a luxury hotel.
• San Andrés de Arroyo: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A 12th-century Cistercian nunnery with the most delicate Romanesque cloister capitals in Spain. The lace-like stone carving is unique in European Cistercian…
• Monasterio de Santa María de Gradefes: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A 12th-century Cistercian nunnery near León, one of the oldest Cistercian communities for women in Spain. Its church features a remarkable Romanesque apse.
• Monasterio de San Salvador de Oña: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — Founded by Count Sancho García of Castile, this monastery became the pantheon of the Counts of Castile. Its Gothic church houses remarkable painted sepulchre…
• Monasterio de San Victorián: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — One of the oldest monasteries in the Iberian Peninsula, dating to the 6th century. Set dramatically in the Sobrarbe Pyrenees, its ruins command views of Mont…
• Monasterio de Vallbona de les Monges: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — The third monastery of Catalonia's 'Cistercian Triangle', home to a community of nuns for over 850 years. Its Gothic church features a remarkable octagonal l…
• Monasterio de Sant Cugat: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — One of the great Benedictine monasteries of Catalonia with the largest Romanesque cloister in Europe. Its 144 carved capitals tell stories from the Bible and…
• Monasterio de Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — A spectacular monastery perched above the Sil river canyon, now a luxury Parador hotel. Its three cloisters span from Romanesque to Baroque, and nine bishops…
• San Martín Pinario: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — The second-largest monastery in Spain after El Escorial, dominating the northern side of the Plaza de la Inmaculada in Santiago de Compostela. Its Baroque fa…
• Monasterio de Iranzu: Cistercian Monastery in Spain — A beautifully restored Cistercian monastery hidden in a wooded gorge near Estella. Its austere Romanesque-Gothic cloister and church exemplify Cistercian arc…
• Convento de San Antonio de Padua: Franciscan Monastery in Spain — A 15th-century Franciscan convent near Garrovillas de Alconétar with a beautifully austere cloister. It stands near the Roman bridge of Alconétar over the Ta…
• Convento de San Francisco de Garachico: Franciscan Monastery in Spain — A Franciscan convent in the historic port of Garachico, partially buried by the 1706 volcanic eruption. Its restoration reveals both monastic and volcanic hi…
• Monasterio de la Cartuja de Cazalla: Carthusian Monastery in Spain — A ruined Carthusian charterhouse in the Sierra Norte of Seville, now an atmospheric cultural center. Founded in the 15th century in the cork oak forests of t…
• Monasterio de San Jerónimo de Valparaíso: Hieronymite Monastery in Spain — A Hieronymite monastery overlooking Córdoba, founded on the site where Ferdinand III camped during the siege of the city. It combines Gothic, Mudéjar, and Re…
• Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Aguilar: Premonstratensian Monastery in Spain — A Premonstratensian monastery in Aguilar de Campoo with exceptional Romanesque capitals. Now houses the Romanesque Center (Centro del Románico), a museum ded…
• Cartuja de Miraflores: Carthusian Monastery in Spain — A Carthusian monastery just outside Burgos, containing the tomb of John II of Castile by Gil de Siloé — considered the finest Gothic altarpiece in Spain.
• Monasterio de San Miguel de los Reyes: Hieronymite Monastery in Spain — A grand Hieronymite monastery in Valencia, now home to the Valencian Library. Its Renaissance cloister by Alonso de Covarrubias is among the finest in easter…
• Monasterio de Tentudía: Order of Santiago Monastery in Spain — Spain's highest monastery at 1,104m, founded after a legendary battle where the sun stood still to give the Christian army victory. Features exquisite 15th-c…
• Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Nájera: Benedictine Monastery in Spain — The royal pantheon of the Kingdom of Navarra-Nájera with a stunning Plateresque cloister. Built into a cliff cave where a king found a statue of the Virgin.