Charterhouse of Aula Dei
Encyclopedia
The Charterhouse of Aula Dei is a Carthusian
monastery, or charterhouse, located about 10 kilometers north of the city of Zaragoza
in Aragon
, north-western Spain
. It was declared a national monument
on 16 February 1983.http://www.mcu.es/principal/ministerio.html
It was founded in 1563 by Hernando de Aragón
, Archbishop of Zaragoza and grandson of the Catholic Monarchs
. The architecture of the enclosed monastery was designed by Martín de Miteza to house thirty-six monks, a complement three times larger than the usual Carthusian community. This monastery, like most in Spain, was closed in 1836, and the monks expelled. The monastery was re-purchased in 1901 by the Carthusians for the exiled French communities of Valbonne and Vauclaire Charterhouses, who arrived in that year in Spain and occupied Aula Dei in 1902.
painted between 1772 and 1774 by Francisco Goya
. Only 7 of the original 11 frescoes now remain. The interior of the church, as would be expected for an enclosed community, is open to selected visitors only for a few hours each week.
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery, or charterhouse, located about 10 kilometers north of the city of Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
in Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, north-western Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was declared a national monument
Monument (Spain)
The current legislation regarding historical monuments in Spain dates from 1985. However, Monumentos nacionales were first designated in the nineteenth century. It was originally a fairly broad category for national heritage sites protecting, for example, the Alhambra...
on 16 February 1983.http://www.mcu.es/principal/ministerio.html
It was founded in 1563 by Hernando de Aragón
Hernando de Aragón
Hernando de Aragón y de Gurrea , Archbishop of Zaragoza and Lieutenant General of Aragon, was an Aragonese humanist and historian.- Family :...
, Archbishop of Zaragoza and grandson of the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
. The architecture of the enclosed monastery was designed by Martín de Miteza to house thirty-six monks, a complement three times larger than the usual Carthusian community. This monastery, like most in Spain, was closed in 1836, and the monks expelled. The monastery was re-purchased in 1901 by the Carthusians for the exiled French communities of Valbonne and Vauclaire Charterhouses, who arrived in that year in Spain and occupied Aula Dei in 1902.
Frescoes
The major interior decoration consists of a cycle of 11 large frescoes round the monastic church on the Life of the VirginLife of the Virgin
The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the number of scenes shown varies greatly with the space...
painted between 1772 and 1774 by Francisco Goya
Francisco Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Goya was a court painter to the Spanish Crown, and through his works was both a commentator on and chronicler of his era...
. Only 7 of the original 11 frescoes now remain. The interior of the church, as would be expected for an enclosed community, is open to selected visitors only for a few hours each week.