Pyrenees Guide

Arantzazu Monastery, Gipuzkoa Region - A compendium of the best contemporary Basque art, this unique geographical area has been a place of attraction since supposedly the Virgin appeared on a hawthorn tree (Arantzan-zu) in 1468, which was believed to be a miracle and converted the site into a place of pilgrimage. This event also ...

Leyre Monastery, Navarra - Located at 50 kilometres from Pamplona and 16 from Sangüesa the foot of the mountain range that gives it its name, the Monastery of Leyre contains magnificent treasures such as an 11th-century crypt, a Gothic church vault and the Porta Speciosa, a beautiful Romanesque portico from the 12th ...

Monasteries of Iranzu & Irache, Navarra - Near the lovely village of Estella lie the Cistercian monasteries of Iranzu, founded in 1176, with an interesting church, cloister and chapter-house, and of Irache, which is a huge architectural complex, in which the 12th century church with its sober lines and the Plateresque cloister stand ...

Oliva Monastery - In the village of Carcastillo on the banks of the river Aragon lies the famous Oliva Monastery , which was founded in 1134 by Garcia Ramirez, king of Navarra. Its church is one of the most interesting parts. It has a nave and two aisles, five chapels, cross vaults and semicircular windows. The ...

Rueda Monastery, Zaragoza Province - Rueda Monastery is also of interest to art and architecture. It dates from the 13th Century and the predominating style in the church, cloister and reflectory is that of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. The Gothic Byzantine chapter house is the best room in the monastery. At a short ...

Sant Joan de les Abadesses Monastery, Catalan Pyrenees - The visit to the town of Sant Joan de les Abadesses starts with the observation of the perfect line of the streets of the Vila Vella. They were planned and built in the 13th century with names according to the guilds that occupied them (Carrer dels Tints and Carrer dels Canonaires, for example). ...

Veruela Monastery, Zaragoza Province - Veruela Monastery is the oldest in the Province of Zaragoza (founded in 1146). It is surrounded by crenelleted walls framed by round towers, which give it the air of a fortress. The original Cistercian architecture is hidden by other styles. The facade has a splayed Romanesque portal with five ...

Veruela Monastery, Zaragoza Province - Veruela Monastery is the oldest in the Province of Zaragoza (founded in 1146). It is surrounded by crenelleted walls framed by round towers, which give it the air of a fortress. The original Cistercian architecture is hidden by other styles. The facade has a splayed Romanesque portal with five ...