Monasterio de Veruela
Key facts
- Type
- Monastery
- Religious order
- Cistercian
- Era
- 12th Century
- Architectural style
- Romanesque-Gothic
- Founded
- 1146
- Current status
- Museum
- Location
- Vera de Moncayo, Zaragoza
- Province
- Zaragoza
- Region
- Aragón
The first Cistercian monastery in Aragón, founded in 1146. Its massive fortified walls and the transition from Romanesque to Gothic make it an architectural treasure of the Moncayo region.
History
Founded by Pedro de Atarés, Lord of Borja, Veruela was the first Cistercian foundation in the Crown of Aragón. The poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer lived here in 1864 and wrote his famous 'Letters from my Cell', making it a literary pilgrimage site as well.
Architecture
The church is a masterpiece of the Cistercian transitional style, with a Romanesque nave and Gothic vaults. The cloister shows pure Gothic elegance. Massive fortified walls give it the appearance of a castle.
Highlights
- First Cistercian monastery in Aragón
- Bécquer's 'Letters from my Cell'
- Fortified walls like a castle
- Transitional Romanesque-Gothic architecture
Visiting
Open daily except Mondays. Entry approximately €4. Located in the foothills of Moncayo, 80 km from Zaragoza.
More Monasteries in Aragón
- Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña — Benedictine, Medieval. 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 the royal pantheon of Ramiro I, Sancho Ramírez and Pedro I.
- Monasterio de Piedra — Cistercian, 12th Century. A 12th-century Cistercian monastery surrounded by spectacular waterfalls and a natural park. The monks here were the first in Europe to make chocolate, following a recipe brought from the New World.
- Monasterio de Rueda — Cistercian, 12th Century. 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 architecture with a magnificent Gothic cloister.
- Monasterio de Sigena — Hospitaller, 12th Century. 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 destroyed in the Civil War.
Explore nearby: Aragón guide · Zaragoza province · Castles of Zaragoza