Monasterio de Santa María la Real, cultural property in Villamayor de los Montes, Spain
The Monasterio de Santa María la Real is a monastery in Villamayor de los Montes featuring stone walls and a plain Gothic church with pointed vaulted ceilings and tall windows. The four-sided cloister with slim columns and an old well forms the heart of the complex.
The monastery was founded in 1223 when a court official named García Fernández acquired it and transferred it to the Cistercian order so he could be buried there and have prayers said for his soul. The first abbess, Marina, was elected in 1228 and the community continued its traditions despite a brief interruption in the seventeenth century.
The monastery has been a center of female Cistercian life for over eight centuries in this region. Today, visitors can observe how a small community of nuns lives and works here following the simple rules of their order.
The monastery welcomes visitors on weekends and holidays, as well as groups by prior appointment. It is located in a small village near Burgos, so plan enough time for a calm walk through the buildings and cloister.
A narrow door called the Porta de las Monjas with carved leafwork connects the cloister directly to the church, allowing nuns to bypass the main visitor area. This hidden passage shows the paths the community used daily to conduct their monastic life.
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