Monastery of Santa María la Real in Aguilar de Campoo, Romanesque monastery in Aguilar de Campoo, Spain
The Monastery of Santa María la Real is a Romanesque sanctuary in Aguilar de Campoo featuring a three-nave church with cross vaults, pointed arches, and a heptagonal presbytery braced by robust radial buttresses. The ROM Museum within the complex displays models and replicas of medieval architectural elements.
The monastery was founded in the 9th century and gained renewed prominence in 1169 when King Alfonso VIII transferred it to the Premonstratensian Order. This change marked a turning point that shaped the community for centuries to come.
The cloister displays carved capitals showing biblical scenes that visitors can observe while walking through the arcades. These stone details reflect the spiritual themes that once guided the community's daily life within these walls.
The site now hosts a secondary school, a UNED center, and museums, so visits are limited by scheduled activities. Plan your visit in advance and respect the areas where classes and events take place.
The monastery underwent restoration in 1985 using Spain's first craft school workshop, a project that later became a model for heritage conservation programs elsewhere. This pioneering work showed how traditional building trades could contribute to preserving the site's structure.
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