San Martín de Albelda, Monastic ruins in Albelda de Iregua, Spain
San Martín de Albelda is a monastery ruin in La Rioja built on the site of a former Arab fortress called al-Bayadh. The remains share the location with the active Iglesia de San Martín de Tours, where regular worship services still take place.
In 924, kings Sancho Garcés I and Toda founded this site to mark the reconquest of Nájera and Viguera from Muslim control. The monastery grew rapidly and became a major center of learning and religious life.
The scriptorium here created the Codex Albeldensis in 976, the first Western document to show Spanish monarchs visually and use Arabic numerals. Visitors can sense the intellectual importance this monastery held for medieval Europe.
The ruins are easily accessible and can be viewed from outside, with the adjacent active church providing clear orientation. Visitors should note this is an archaeological site, so seeking local information or guided tours helps understand what remains.
The monastery reached its peak around 950 with roughly 200 monks and hosted a notable visitor during one of the earliest pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. This moment shows how the Santiago route was gaining importance in medieval times.
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