Monasterio de Oseira
Key facts
- Type
- Monastery
- Religious order
- Cistercian
- Era
- 12th Century
- Architectural style
- Romanesque-Baroque
- Founded
- 1137
- Current status
- Active
- Location
- San Cristovo de Cea, Ourense
- Province
- Ourense
- Region
- Galicia
Known as 'the Galician Escorial' for its grand scale, this Cistercian monastery in the Ourense mountains has been continuously inhabited by monks for nearly 900 years.
Highlights
- 'The Galician Escorial'
- Nearly 900 years of continuous habitation
- Massive Baroque façade
- Romanesque chapter house
More Monasteries in Galicia
- Monasterio de Sobrado dos Monxes — Cistercian, 10th Century. A massive Cistercian monastery on the Camino de Santiago with a Baroque church of extraordinary proportions. Refounded in 1966, it once again houses a Trappist community.
- Monasterio de Samos — Benedictine, 6th Century. One of the oldest monasteries in the Western world with continuous monastic life, featuring two cloisters — including Spain's largest — and connections to the Camino de Santiago.
- Monasterio de Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil — Benedictine, 10th Century. 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 reportedly retired here.
- San Martín Pinario — Benedictine, 10th Century. 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 façade rivals the Cathedral.
Explore nearby: Galicia guide · Ourense province · Castles of Ourense