Santa María de La Vid Monastery, La Vid y Barrios, Spain

Santa María de La Vid is a monastery in Spain's Duero Valley was founded on a different site, a place called Montesacro, in about 1146 by Domingo Gómez, illegitimate son of Queen Urraca of León and Castile and her lover Count Gómez González de Candespina. Domingo had become interested in the Praemonstratensian order on a visit to France, and this was the first Praemonstratensian house in Spain.

The monastery was moved to its present site in 1152, having been given the estate of La Vid by Alfonso VII of León and Castile, who was the half-brother of Domingo Gómez. It was closed as a result of the ecclesiastical confiscations of Mendizábal in the 1830s. It was re-opened in the 1860s by the Augustinians who still inhabit it.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Mónica PR (14 months ago)
Because you can't put 10 stars that if you didn't get them ... Excellent place to visit. Hotel a 10 and restaurant a 10. Incredible quality / price. Treatment of the staff equally excellent. Congratulations.

Alien1717 (14 months ago)
Monasterio muy bonito. Recomiendo verlo. Alguna mezcla de estilos pues es muy antiguo siglo xII y posteriormente ampliado. La talla de la virgen de la vid tiene la expresión más dulce que he visto hasta la fecha. Mínimo de visita 2 personas. Es desconcertante porque si quieres verlo podrías pagar doble para verlo pero son muy rigurosos al respecto son 2 y menos te niegan la visita.

Juan Ángel Omeñaca Cacho (15 months ago)
Very pretty

Marion Scott (2 years ago)
It was closed when we were there, but a beautiful outside and gardens

Maite Sánchez Sánchez (2 years ago)
Q voy a decir sobre este lugar es una cita para mí tan importante todos los primeros sábados de junio q me encanta , el monasterio tiene mucha historia situado en un lugar precioso privilegiado con el Duero a sus pies , tiene hospedería es un lugar tan especial q quien va repite y sobre todo la Virgen Santa María de la vid es una belleza

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Ana Paula Hirama

Historic Site of the week

Holy Trinity Column

The Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc is a Baroque monument built in 1716–1754 in honour of God. The main purpose was a spectacular celebration of Catholic Church and faith, partly caused by feeling of gratitude for ending a plague, which struck Moravia between 1713 and 1715. The column was also understood to be an expression of local patriotism, since all artists and master craftsmen working on this monument were Olomouc citizens, and almost all depicted saints were connected with the city of Olomouc in some way. The column is the biggest Baroque sculptural group in the Czech Republic. In 2000 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

The column is dominated by gilded copper sculptures of the Holy Trinity accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel on the top and the Assumption of the Virgin beneath it.

The base of the column, in three levels, is surrounded by 18 more stone sculptures of saints and 14 reliefs in elaborate cartouches. At the uppermost stage are saints connected with Jesus’ earth life – his mother’s parents St. Anne and St. Joachim, his foster-father St. Joseph, and St. John the Baptist, who was preparing his coming – who are accompanied by St. Lawrence and St. Jerome, saints to whom the chapel in the Olomouc town hall was dedicated. Three reliefs represent the Three theological virtues Faith, Hope, and Love.

Below them, the second stage is dedicated to Moravian saints St. Cyril and St. Methodius, who came to Great Moravia to spread Christianity in 863, St. Blaise, in whose name one of the main Olomouc churches is consecrated, and patrons of neighbouring Bohemia St. Adalbert of Prague and St. John of Nepomuk, whose following was very strong there as well.

In the lowest stage one can see the figures of an Austrian patron St. Maurice and a Bohemian patron St. Wenceslas, in whose names two important Olomouc churches were consecrated, another Austrian patron St. Florian, who was also viewed as a protector against various disasters, especially fire, St. John of Capistrano, who used to preach in Olomouc, St. Anthony of Padua, a member of the Franciscan Order, which owned an important monastery in Olomouc, and St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a patron of students. His sculpture showed that Olomouc was very proud of its university. Reliefs of all twelve apostles are placed among these sculptures.

The column also houses a small chapel inside with reliefs depicting Cain's offering from his crop, Abel's offering of firstlings of his flock, Noah's first burnt offering after the Flood, Abraham's offering of Isaac and of a lamb, and Jesus' death. The cities of Jerusalem and Olomouc can be seen in the background of the last mentioned relief.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Santa María de La Vid Monastery

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Rhodes, The Island of Knights

Great Spa Towns of Europe

History of Guernsey & Jersey

Historic Site of the week

Holy Trinity Column

Looks like you are a history fan!