Strata Florida Abbey

Daughter monasteries

Llantarnam Abbey ( 1179 ) Aberconwy Abbey ( 1186 )

Strata Florida Abbey ( Stratflur; Welsh: Ystrad Fflur Abaty ) is a former Cistercian abbey 27 km southeast of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion Pontrhydfendigaid (formerly Cardiganshire and Dyfed ) in Wales.

History

The monastery was founded in 1164 in Old Abbey Farm on a field with name Yr Hen Fynachlog as a daughter house of Whitland Abbey on a foundation of Robert Fitzstephen on the banks of the river Fflur and thus belonged to the filiation of Clairvaux Abbey Primary. It was soon (probably in 1184 ) moved to his present place of Lord Rhys. Although the monastery was of Norman origin, it quickly evolved into a major Welsh cultural center. 1179 the daughter house Llantarnam Abbey and 1186 Aberconwy Abbey was colonized. 1201 must have been usable eastern parts of the church. 1238 called Llywelyn from Iorwerth (called " the Great"), a meeting of the Welsh princes according to Strata Florida to swear this to his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn. In the 12th and 13th centuries the sheep brought to the monastery prosperity. Because of its support for the Welsh thing ordered King John in 1212, the destruction of the monastery, which was however averted by paying a fine of 700 marks. 1286 became the monastery by lightning fire in 1295 and it was re- inserted during a Welsh uprising by the royal army on fire and destroyed. At the beginning of the 15th century, the monastery was temporarily abandoned and occupied by the army. At the beginning of the 16th century refectory and infirmary were already crumbled to ruins. Although the monastery was able to escape through the payment of money nor the monastery resolution in 1536, but was disbanded in 1539 and 1567 came to the family Stedman, who had built the mansion south of the exam. Today the monastery site of Welsh Historic Monuments is supervised.

Buildings and plant

From 1184 to 1225 in Romanesque- Gothic transition style built cruciform church with a rectangular chancel and side chapels of three to the east sides of the transept low walls of the presbytery, the transept and the transept and the nave are preserved. Also from the chapter house in the cloister on the south side of the church and the sacristy and the north, east and west wings of the cloister walls are preserved. Also, the round-arched western entrance with five Archivolts still stands.