Santes Creus
Daughter monasteries
Monastery Valldigna Monastery of Santa Maria Fonte Alto
Santes Creus or full name Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Santes Creus ( Catalan " Royal Monastery of Saint Mary of the Holy Cross " ) is an extended Cistercian monastery of the 12th century in Catalonia, in the province of Tarragona, community Aiguamúrcia.
History
The monastery of the " Holy Cross " was founded near a group of crosses that were erected in memory of a light phenomenon. It is considered one of the most pleasant and sweetest of the Cistercian monasteries. Responsible for the creation not the royal court, but the Montcada family under their Ahn Guillem Ramon de Montcada II. For the initial time monks were brought from the Abbey of Grandselve in the French Languedoc for the Cistercian monastery. However, the former is not the founding place where the monastery stands today. Twice moved to the monks. 1158 finally they settled at their present location in the valley of the river Gaià near the aforementioned crosses.
However, the royal court soon became interested in the flourishing monastery, gave to him the privileges and financial support, and finally caused the monastery was the pope under the direct authority. From the third generation of the abbots, the monastery was again dependent on Grandselve.
In the 17th century the decline of the abbey began. During the so-called desamortización the monastery was abandoned in 1835 by the monks.
In 1921, the plant was threatened by decay added to the list of National Monuments, and are thus under the protection of monuments. The monastery is today together with the monasteries of Santa Maria de Poblet and the convent of Santa Maria de Vallbona part of the Ruta del cittern.
The monastery
The church was begun in 1174 with the facade. 1215, the consecration took place. The facade looks extremely strict and austere, almost fortress-like with a topping-off crude battlements.
The three-aisled basilica sechsjochige has a length of 47 meters, the nave has a width of nine meters and a height of 21 meters, the aisles are five feet wide and ten feet high.
The work on the individual parts of the monastery went on for decades. At the chapter house was built from 1174, the dormitory was built from 1191 to 1225. The foundation stone of the cloister was made in 1313, completed it was 1341st
The cloister and its capitals
The main attraction of the monastery is the Gothic cloister with its highly interesting, very imaginative capitals. A variety of plants, animals, people and animal people is shown with great joy, with part of the entire area of the Kapitellbandes is filled via a plurality of support members across with a single scene. A " deep " theological sense, but apparently in contrast to the Benedictine rule does not exist. Some topics are: the Garden of Eden, man's creation, creation of Eve from Adam's rib, Temptation, expulsion, etc.; Furthermore, various craft forms are shown, seasonal work, fools games and demonic animal forms.
It is claimed that this cloister of the first gothic inspired the whole of Spain was.
Other monastic buildings
Of particular importance next to the cloister is the dormitory at 48.5 meters long and ten meters wide. Eleven stone arches support the open gable roof. It is much older than the underlying portions of the cloister. Through its construction but are different data. Either the dormitory was built from 1191 or as early as 1173rd
Wonderfully preserved is also the south of the cloister located huge Gothic wine cellar with its heavy ribbed vaults and a unique, gruftigen ' atmosphere.
In comparison, the abbey church offers austere Cistercian simplicity and austerity. Worth mentioning are the Royal Tombs, the act with its magnificent late Gothic features in this space almost like an afterthought.