Santa María de Carrizo

Santa María de Carrizo is a Romanesque monastery featuring three semicircular apses, a Romanesque portal, and a Gothic coffered ceiling in its chapter house. The building displays architectural elements from different periods while maintaining its fundamental structure throughout the centuries.

Countess Estefanía Ramírez founded the monastery in 1176, with her daughter becoming its first abbess and leading a long succession. Twenty-six abbesses directed the community over the next four centuries, establishing a continuous religious presence.

The monastery carries the legacy of its founder Countess Estefanía Ramírez, and the resident nuns have shaped their community across many centuries. Visitors can walk through the spaces and sense how the religious community lives within these walls today.

The monastery continues to function as an active religious community where nuns carry out their daily lives and produce handmade items. Visitors should remember that this is a lived-in space and should respect the rhythms and routines of the residents.

The monastery experienced an unprecedented interruption to its religious life between 1868 and 1871 when government mandated the forced closure of the community. This marked the first break in approximately 800 years of continuous monastic presence.

Location: Carrizo de la Ribera

Inception: 1176

Founders: Estefanía Ramírez

Architectural style: Romanesque art

Website: http://monasteriocarrizo.es

GPS coordinates: 42.58361,-5.83083

Latest update: December 14, 2025 09:47