Miraflores Charterhouse

Burgos, Spain

Miraflores Charterhouse is an Isabelline style Carthusian monastery built on a hill (known as Miraflores) about three kilometers of the center of Burgos.

Its origin dates back to 1442, when king John II of Castile donated a hunting lodge located outside city of Burgos, which had been erected by his father Henry III of Castile 'the Mourner' in 1401, to the Order of the Carthusians for its conversion into a monastery, thus fulfilling his father's desire, stated in his will. A fire in 1452 caused the destruction of the pavilion, and construction of a building began in 1454. It is this building, which was placed under the patronage of Saint Mary of the Annunciation, which exists today. The work was commissioned to Juan de Colonia, and was continued after his death by his son, Simón de Colonia, who completed the structure in 1484 at behest of Queen Isabella I of Castile, surviving daughter of kings John II of Castile and Isabella of Portugal, whose impressive buried are housed in the monastery.

It is a latter-Gothic jewel, and its highlights include the church, with Isabelline style's western facade decorated with the coats of its founders. The monastery consists of a single nave with stellar vault and side chapels, and is topped by a polygonal apse.

The main altarpiece of the Charterhouse was carved in wood by artist Gil de Siloé and polychrome and gilded by Diego de la Cruz (whose gold came from the first shipments of the American continent after its discovery). Made between 1496 and 1499, is undoubtedly one of the most important existing works of the Spanish Gothic sculpture, by its compositional and iconographic originality and excellent quality of carving, valued by the polychrome.

The royal sepulchers's set were designed by artist Gil de Siloé commissioned by Queen Isabella I of Castile. On the one hand is the Sepulchers of John II of Castile and Isabella of Portugal, placed in the nave's center, eight-pointed star shaped. And in the Gospel side of the church is located the Sepulcher of infante Alfonso of Castile. Both sepulchers were made in alabaster and are late-Gothic sculpture's jewels.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

BU-800 5, Burgos, Spain
See all sites in Burgos

Details

Founded: 1442
Category: Religious sites in Spain

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Iryna Radchenko (2 years ago)
Very peaceful place, definitely worth to visit. Amazing retablo, I've never seen one like this before.
May Rosales (2 years ago)
This monastery can be visited for free, but is a bit far from the cathedral area -- you can either walk or take a taxi to go there and back. There are no taxi queues in the area though so you have to call one to go back. Open from 1015-1500 and 1600-1800. Must see is the elaborate star shaped tomb of King Juan of Castile and his wife Isabel of Portugal, carved by Gil Siloé. There is also a peaceful fishpond near the entrance for reflecting.
Derek Wailes (2 years ago)
Stunning altarpiece. Worth visiting if you have a car and a GPS. There isn’t really much else to see but what you do see is first class
Antonio Bodalo (2 years ago)
Please don't say no to walk to this place from the center of Burgos. First you will walk through one of the finest gardens in the city, Fuentes Blancas. When you get there, just letras you enjoy with a gothic 1484 year building and open your eyes to carefully admire the chapel and the tomb of Juan II of Castilla and Isabel from Portugal . Such a nice sculpture you can spend hours looking at the details.... and when back in Burgos, drink a cup of Ribera del Duero to remember what you have been watching!!!!!
Andreas Ritter (3 years ago)
Beautiful, remote but still close to the city monastery. Plan to sit in the Park for a weile, just looking at the church.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Linderhof Palace

Linderhof is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.

Ludwig II, who was crowned king in 1864, began his building activities in 1867-1868 by redesigning his rooms in the Munich Residenz and laying the foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle. In 1868 he was already making his first plans for Linderhof. However, neither the palace modelled on Versailles that was to be sited on the floor of the valley nor the large Byzantine palace envisaged by Ludwig II were ever built.

Instead, the new building developed around the forester's house belonging to his father Maximilian II, which was located in the open space in front of the present palace and was used by the king when crown prince on hunting expeditions with his father.