Monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva, Romanesque monastery in Villanueva, Spain.
The Monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva is a Romanesque complex in northern Spain featuring a church with three semicircular apses and a rectangular cloister. These two sections were built in different periods and show distinct construction methods.
King Alfonso I the Catholic established the original church at this location before the monastery section was added during 12th-century expansions. This building phase set the Romanesque foundation that still defines the structure today.
The monastery shows how religious architecture evolved in northern Spain by blending Romanesque forms with later Baroque changes. You can see these different layers as you walk through the spaces.
The building now serves as a Parador Nacional hotel while the church remains open for religious services. Keep this dual use in mind when exploring the different areas of the complex.
Parts of the original 12th-century walls and the three graduated semicircular apses survive to this day. These details reveal how medieval builders designed churches and the techniques they employed.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
