Monestir de Santa Maria de Benifassà

The Monestir de Santa Maria de Benifassà is a Cistercian monastery in a mountain valley in eastern Spain featuring a large single-nave church and structures from different periods. The complex includes cloisters, residential quarters, and outbuildings arranged around courtyards that blend various architectural styles together.

The monastery was founded in the 13th century as one of the earliest religious communities in the newly conquered region. Over the centuries it underwent successive rebuilding and expansion that shaped its present form.

The monastery remains an active place where monastic life continues today, shaped by centuries of spiritual practice and community living. Walking through its spaces reveals how religious routines and personal devotion have defined daily existence here.

Access to the monastery is limited since an active community lives here and certain areas remain closed to visitors. It helps to check opening hours in advance and understand that some sections are reserved for private use.

The monastery preserves an important collection of medieval manuscripts and theological texts that offer insight into the intellectual life of the monks. These documents reveal how scholarly work was a central part of monastic daily life.