Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The Benedictine Monastery of Santa Cruz de la Serós was founded by Sancho II de Pamplona (Count of Aragon, 970-994) and his wife Urraca de Castilla. It enjoyed prestige and wealth during the 12th century. Today only the church of the former monastery remains.

The Monastery of Santa Giulia is a monastic complex whose current building dates mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries. This monastery developed around the ancient 8th-century Basilica of San Salvatore. In the mid 12th century the monastery underwent a major renovation and extension in Romanesque style, but the present structure owes much to the 15th century when the nuns' choir was completed, the cloister rebuilt and the northern dormitory added. In the 16th century (1599) the church of Santa Giulia was finally completed. The complex is, together with other buildings founded by the Lombards, a UNESCO heritage site.

This Cistercian monastery was founded in 1164 with the support of Alfonso VIII. fter suffering the effects of the Liberal Triennium, the community continued to exist until the confiscation, when it passed into private hands and the monastic buildings fell into ruin. In recent years, conservation and restoration work has been carried out.

The monastery of Santa María de Estíbaliz is first mentioned in the 10th century.

The Monastery of Santa María de Iranzu is a medieval monastic complex in the Iranzu valley which is still home to a Cistercian community.

There is evidence of the existence of a church in this place since 990, and like others in this territory. The architectural complex of Santa Maria de l'Estany, which was restored in the 19th century, is made up of the church, the cloister and various outbuildings that are located around the latter, where there is now a museum.

Today, part of the old quarters can be visited as a museum run by the Barcelona City Council, and the current community occupies new premises next to the old monastery.

The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1151. It was the royal pantheon of the Kingdom of Aragon from the end of the 14th century until the extinction of the Royal House of Aragon in the 15th century. Abandoned in 1835, its restoration began in 1930, and in 1935, the church could again be dedicated to worship. In 1991, the Poblet Monastery was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Traditionally, this monastery has been considered to have very ancient roots, dating back to the Visigothic period. With the support of Alfonso VI, the construction of a canonry that would continue during the following century would have begun, but in 1267 it had already been lost. In 1836, Sopetrán was left without a religious community. There are initiatives to give the site a boost and restore it, although it is still in ruins.

The foundation of the monastery of Santa María de Veruela is linked to the desire of García Ramirez de Pamplona, the Restorer, (1134-50) to repopulate this territory.