Monastery of Iranzu

The Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Iranzu is a Cistercian monastery in Abárzuza featuring a stone church, cloister, and ancillary buildings. The structures blend Romanesque and Gothic styles across different construction periods from the medieval era.

The monastery was founded in 1150 and served as a Cistercian center until its closure in 1839 during Spanish political reforms. Its long existence shows how religious institutions operated from the medieval period through major social change.

The name references a nearby river, showing how medieval religious sites were connected to their natural surroundings. Walking through the spaces today reveals how monks organized their daily routines within the stone structures and cloisters.

The site offers guided tours year-round, showing visitors the church, cloister, and interior spaces of the complex. Allow time to walk through both the buildings and the surrounding grounds at a comfortable pace.

The cloister displays two different architectural styles side by side, revealing how the complex was altered over centuries. This layering of old and new is clearly visible during a visit and tells the story of different periods of use.