Monestir de Santa Maria de Valldonzella, Cistercian monastery in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Spain.
Monestir de Santa Maria de Valldonzella is a Cistercian monastery in Barcelona with a Neo-Gothic church decorated with ornamental glass windows and carved supports in the transept arches. Architect Bernardí Martorell designed the structure to blend modern elements into the religious building.
The community was founded in 1237 when Berenguera de Cervera established the monastery with eleven nuns near Barcelona. In 1410, King Martin I of Aragon died within these walls, linking the religious site to medieval power.
The name reflects the nuns who established a school here, offering instruction to noble daughters in languages, music, and crafts. This legacy of female education still shapes how people understand the monastery's role in the community.
The building on Carrer del Císter was constructed in 1913 and consecrated in 1922, making the current structure over 100 years old. Visitors should note that the architecture displays both traditional and modern elements from this period.
The monastery preserves traces of its role as an education center for women, where nuns taught writing, music, and artistic crafts. This school was unusual at a time when formal education for women was rare.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
