Moreruela Abbey

Daughter monasteries

Monastery Nogales ( 1164 ) Monastery Aguiar

The Monastery Moreruela (Santa María de Moreruela ) is a former Cistercian abbey in the province of Zamora in Castile -Leon in Spain. It lies just west of Granja de Moreruela, about 35 km north of the city of Zamora, not far from the left bank of the Esla, a tributary of the Duero.

History

At the site of the present monastery was already in vorzisterziensischer time a monastery, which the Asturian King Alfonso III. to have founded or the Holy Froilan for Benedictine. The Cistercians took over the monastery either 1131/1133 or 1143, the earlier of ( with whom the monastery was the first Cistercian monastery in Spain) is doubted. The monastery is a daughter house of Clairvaux Abbey Primary. It based its part Aguiar monastery in Portugal and monastery Nogales. It was declared a National Monument in 1931.

Buildings and plant

From the monastery, large parts are received ruinous, especially the ruins of the Roman, 63 -meter monastery church in the form of a Latin cross, whose construction started in 1170 and against which was completed in the second quarter of the 13th century. The choir fully obtained has a rib- vaulted room around the rectangular choir bay with seven chapels of type II Clairvaux (cf. Pontigny monastery, Monastery Royaumont, Altenberg Cathedral, Monastery Heisterbach Marienstatt Monastery ). Are preserved on the walls of the 27 m wide transept, the walls of the north aisle and parts of the three-aisled nave neunjochigen. From the north (left) located on the church retreat buildings, among other things get the chapter house ( partially reconstructed ).