Monastery of San Pedro de Eslonza
Encyclopedia
The Monastery of San Pedro de Eslonza is a former Benedictine
monastery in Gradefes
, in the province of León, central Spain
.
Today in ruins, it was once the second most important monastery in the province, after the monastery of San Benito in Sahagún
. It was founded in 912 by King García I of León
, but was destroyed by the Moorish ruler Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir
in 988; it was therefore rebuilt in 1099 by the Urraca of Zamora
, daughter of Ferdinand I of León and Castile. In 1109 she became queen of Galicia, León and Castile, and gave consistent donations to the monastery.
The edifice was in ruinous state in the 16th century, and was therefore restored with, among the other interventions, three new Renaissance portals. The main façade was added in Baroque style: its niches once housed statues of saints, now disappeared.
The monastery's prosperity suffered a severe blow in 1836 with the Ecclesiastical Confiscation of Mendizábal, by which it was sold and its artistic heritage split between numerous buyers. Its decline continued despite the fact that, in 1931, it was declared a national monument. In the period between 1944 and 1970 bishop Luis Almarcha Hernández
moved its portals to the church of San Juan y San Pedro de Renueva
, at León
, saving them from destruction.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery in Gradefes
Gradefes
Gradefes is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. , the municipality has a population of 1,076 inhabitants....
, in the province of León, central 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...
.
Today in ruins, it was once the second most important monastery in the province, after the monastery of San Benito in Sahagún
Sahagún
Sahagún can refer to:*Sahagún, Spain, a town and monastery in Léon, Spain. Cradle of the Mudéjar architecture*Sahagún, Córdoba, the second town in population in Córdoba Department, Colombia, also called "The Cultural City of Cordoba"People...
. It was founded in 912 by King García I of León
García I of León
García I was the King of León from 910 until his death and eldest of three succeeding sons of Alfonso III the Great by his wife Jimena....
, but was destroyed by the Moorish ruler Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir
Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir
Abu Aamir Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abi Aamir, Al-Hajib Al-Mansur , better known as Almanzor, was the de facto ruler of Muslim Al-Andalus in the late 10th to early 11th centuries. His rule marked the peak of power for Moorish Iberia.-Origins:He was born Muhammad Ibn Abi Aamir, into a noble Arab...
in 988; it was therefore rebuilt in 1099 by the Urraca of Zamora
Urraca of Zamora
Urraca was a Leonese infanta, one of the five children of Ferdinand I the Great, who received the city of Zamora as her inheritance and exercised palatine authority in it...
, daughter of Ferdinand I of León and Castile. In 1109 she became queen of Galicia, León and Castile, and gave consistent donations to the monastery.
The edifice was in ruinous state in the 16th century, and was therefore restored with, among the other interventions, three new Renaissance portals. The main façade was added in Baroque style: its niches once housed statues of saints, now disappeared.
The monastery's prosperity suffered a severe blow in 1836 with the Ecclesiastical Confiscation of Mendizábal, by which it was sold and its artistic heritage split between numerous buyers. Its decline continued despite the fact that, in 1931, it was declared a national monument. In the period between 1944 and 1970 bishop Luis Almarcha Hernández
Luis Almarcha Hernández
Luis Almarcha Hernández was a Spanish cleric and politician, and a bishop of León from 1944 to 1970. He also served as procurator in the Cortes during the Francoist regime.-Life:...
moved its portals to the church of San Juan y San Pedro de Renueva
San Juan y San Pedro de Renueva
San Juan y San Pedro de Renueva is a church in León, central Spain.It was built in the mid-20th century in Neo-Renaissance style by will of the local bishop, Luis Almarcha Hernández. Its main artistical feature is the entrance gate, in Baroque style, taken from the ruined monastery of San Pedro de...
, at León
León, Spain
León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
, saving them from destruction.