Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba
Encyclopedia
The Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba (ˈsaɲ ʒeˈɾɔni ðe koˈtaɫβa, , "Saint Jerome of Cotalba") is a monastic building of Gothic
, Renaissance
and Neoclassical
styles constructed between the 14th and 18th centuries, located in the municipal area of Alfauir
, (Valencia), Spain
.
. In the village of Alfauir, some eight kilometres out of Gandia in the direction of Albaida is the monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba. The monastery has its origins in Xàbia, where in 1374 Pope Gregory XI
authorised its foundation to some hermit monks. Originally commissioned by the Royal Duke of Gandia
Alfonso of Aragon and Foix in 1388 to save the friars from attacks by Berber pirates which they had been suffering whilst they lived in Xàbia
. The family and the two wives of the well-known Valencian medieval poet Ausiàs March
are buried in this monastery.
Afterwards, in 16th century, the monastery will have the protection of the Borgia family, being the Duchess of Gandia
, Maria Enríquez de Luna, the one that realized works of extension in the monastery.
The popular legend tells that in one of the monastery's cloisters preached Saint Vincent Ferrer to the people.
Another personage of reference at the monastery is the Spanish Renaissance painter Nicolás Borrás
. Upon entering the priesthood he was assigned to the Hieronymite
Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, where he enjoyed his stay so much that he asked for membership in the order has his only payment. He received the habit in 1575, and took the final vows the following year. He passed the rest of his life painting, leaving twelve altar pieces in the church alone. He also spent his own money in the employment of sculptors and builders for the embellishment of the monastery.
Following the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal
, where religious buildings were sold off to pay state debts, it has been owned by the Trénor family in 1843. During the Spanish Civil War
the monastery was used as a military hospital. The monastery was declared as an item of cultural interest (BIC
) in 1994 and is now in the process of being restored and enhanced for visitors. Since May
2005 the doors to this building have been opened to the public. Coinciding with its opening to the
public, restoration work has been carried out on the area behind the church’s retable and Father Borrás’ painting
gallery, and restoring the monastery’s visitable parts. Nowadays, it's possible to visit the majority of the monastery.
The monastery supposes the beginning of the Route of the Monasteries of Valencia
(GR
-236), a religious, cultural and tourist route that connects five monasteries located in central region of the Province of Valencia, (Valencian Community
). The Route of the Monasteries of Valencia was inaugurated in the year 2008 and this monastery is the first stage of the route.
during the 17th and 18th centuries when it took on its present-day layout. Its most representative feature is its main facade, overlooked by the main tower and priory tower. The cloister is the backbone of the enclosure and is arranged in four galleries on two floors. On the lower cloister, the arches and vaults are made in two-coloured Mudejar style. The church stands on a rectangular ground plan with one aisle and chapels between buttresses. The most significant areas on the upper floor are the presbytery and the choir.
The complex encompasses the bell tower, with 17th-century blue and white carvings covering the façade; a gothic church with Baroque elements acquired during a previous renovation in the 18th century; a cloister with red Mudéjar arches resembling the architecture of the Córdoba mosque; a garden and the sala capitular, where a tomb houses the remains of Prince John and Princess Blanche of Aragon, children of the mediaeval Duke Alfonso the Old.
The constructed enclosure emphasizes the bell tower, where it's possible to find a copy of the entry in Valencian
recalling the date and name of the founder.
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and Neoclassical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
styles constructed between the 14th and 18th centuries, located in the municipal area of Alfauir
Alfauir
Alfauir is a municipality in the comarca of Safor in the Valencian Community, Spain.- Main sights :*Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, constructed between the 15th and 18th centuries.*Church of the Mare de Déu del Roser, 20th century....
, (Valencia), 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...
.
History
It is one of the most notable monastic constructions of the Valencian CommunityValencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
. In the village of Alfauir, some eight kilometres out of Gandia in the direction of Albaida is the monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba. The monastery has its origins in Xàbia, where in 1374 Pope Gregory XI
Pope Gregory XI
Gregory XI was pope from 1370 until his death.-Biography:He was born Pierre Roger de Beaufort, in Maumont, in the modern commune of Rosiers-d'Égletons, Limousin around 1336. He succeeded Pope Urban V in 1370, and was pope until 1378...
authorised its foundation to some hermit monks. Originally commissioned by the Royal Duke of Gandia
Duke of Gandia
The hereditary Spanish title duke of Gandía was created in 1485 by Ferdinand II of Aragon from the original Italian title "duke of Candia" belonging to the Italian Stato di Mare or Italian Kingdoms of the Mediterranean Sea; originally granted around 1206 to a Genoan marquis member of the House of...
Alfonso of Aragon and Foix in 1388 to save the friars from attacks by Berber pirates which they had been suffering whilst they lived in Xàbia
Xàbia
Xàbia is a coastal town located in the comarca of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. Situated behind a wide bay and sheltered between two rocky headlands, the town has become a very popular small seaside resort and market town.-Geography:Xàbia is situated in...
. The family and the two wives of the well-known Valencian medieval poet Ausiàs March
Ausiàs March
Ausiàs March was a Valencian poet who was born in Gandia towards the end of the 14th century. He was the son of Pere March, nephew of Jaume March II, and cousin of Arnau March....
are buried in this monastery.
Afterwards, in 16th century, the monastery will have the protection of the Borgia family, being the Duchess of Gandia
Duke of Gandia
The hereditary Spanish title duke of Gandía was created in 1485 by Ferdinand II of Aragon from the original Italian title "duke of Candia" belonging to the Italian Stato di Mare or Italian Kingdoms of the Mediterranean Sea; originally granted around 1206 to a Genoan marquis member of the House of...
, Maria Enríquez de Luna, the one that realized works of extension in the monastery.
The popular legend tells that in one of the monastery's cloisters preached Saint Vincent Ferrer to the people.
Another personage of reference at the monastery is the Spanish Renaissance painter Nicolás Borrás
Nicolás Borrás
Nicolás Borrás was a Spanish painter, active in Valencia.Going to Valencia at an early age to study under Vicente Juan Macip, Borrás became the latter's most noteworthy pupil. Borrás's works generally resemble those of Macip and some of them have been taken for his...
. Upon entering the priesthood he was assigned to the Hieronymite
Hieronymites
Hieronymites, or the Order of St. Jerome , is a common name for several congregations of hermits living according to the Rule of St. Augustine, with supplementary regulations taken from the writings of the 5th-century monk and scholar, St Jerome. The principal group with this name was founded in...
Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, where he enjoyed his stay so much that he asked for membership in the order has his only payment. He received the habit in 1575, and took the final vows the following year. He passed the rest of his life painting, leaving twelve altar pieces in the church alone. He also spent his own money in the employment of sculptors and builders for the embellishment of the monastery.
Following the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal
Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal
The Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizabal, more often referred to simply as La Desamortización, encompasses a set of decrees from 1835-1837 that resulted in the expropriation, and privatization, of monastic properties in Spain....
, where religious buildings were sold off to pay state debts, it has been owned by the Trénor family in 1843. During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
the monastery was used as a military hospital. The monastery was declared as an item of cultural interest (BIC
Bien de Interés Cultural
A Bien de Interés Cultural is a category of the Spanish heritage register. This category dates from 1985 when it replaced the former heritage category of Monumento nacional in order to extend protection to a wider range of cultural property...
) in 1994 and is now in the process of being restored and enhanced for visitors. Since May
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.May is a month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere...
2005 the doors to this building have been opened to the public. Coinciding with its opening to the
public, restoration work has been carried out on the area behind the church’s retable and Father Borrás’ painting
gallery, and restoring the monastery’s visitable parts. Nowadays, it's possible to visit the majority of the monastery.
The monastery supposes the beginning of the Route of the Monasteries of Valencia
Route of the Monasteries of Valencia
The Route of the Monasteries of Valencia is a religious, cultural and tourist route that connects five monasteries located in central region of the Province of Valencia, , in Spain...
(GR
GR footpath
The Grande Randonnée , Grote Routepaden or Lange-afstand-wandelpaden , Grande Rota or Gran Recorrido is a network of long-distance footpaths in Europe, mostly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. In France alone, the trails cover approximately 60,000 km...
-236), a religious, cultural and tourist route that connects five monasteries located in central region of the Province of Valencia, (Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
). The Route of the Monasteries of Valencia was inaugurated in the year 2008 and this monastery is the first stage of the route.
The monastery
Construction work on the monastery began in the 14th century and continued up to the 16th century, though it wasduring the 17th and 18th centuries when it took on its present-day layout. Its most representative feature is its main facade, overlooked by the main tower and priory tower. The cloister is the backbone of the enclosure and is arranged in four galleries on two floors. On the lower cloister, the arches and vaults are made in two-coloured Mudejar style. The church stands on a rectangular ground plan with one aisle and chapels between buttresses. The most significant areas on the upper floor are the presbytery and the choir.
The complex encompasses the bell tower, with 17th-century blue and white carvings covering the façade; a gothic church with Baroque elements acquired during a previous renovation in the 18th century; a cloister with red Mudéjar arches resembling the architecture of the Córdoba mosque; a garden and the sala capitular, where a tomb houses the remains of Prince John and Princess Blanche of Aragon, children of the mediaeval Duke Alfonso the Old.
The constructed enclosure emphasizes the bell tower, where it's possible to find a copy of the entry in Valencian
Valencian
Valencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...
recalling the date and name of the founder.
Sections of the monastery
- Renaissance cloister double overlay.
- Gothic spiral staircase of the chapter house.
- The church.
- Romantic gardens.
- Gothic aqueduct.
Visits
Nowadays, it's possible to visit the majority of the building. To visit the monastery is advisable to consult the schedule updated of visits in the website of the monastery.See also
- Route of the Monasteries of ValenciaRoute of the Monasteries of ValenciaThe Route of the Monasteries of Valencia is a religious, cultural and tourist route that connects five monasteries located in central region of the Province of Valencia, , in Spain...
- PR-CV-100PR-CV-100The route PR-100 or PR-CV-100 is a short-distance footpath of the Valencian Community that goes from Ròtova to the Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, in Alfauir , crossing different natural places and monuments, saws, rivers, etc, all of them of great landscape and cultural interest.The route...
(Route of the Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba) - Dukes of Gandía
- Ausiàs MarchAusiàs MarchAusiàs March was a Valencian poet who was born in Gandia towards the end of the 14th century. He was the son of Pere March, nephew of Jaume March II, and cousin of Arnau March....
- Pere MarchPere MarchPere March was a Valencian poet.Younger brother of Jaume March II, uncle of Arnau March, and father of Ausiàs March, Pere's family had been lawyers and officers of the court of the kingdom of Aragon...
- House of Borgia
- Nicolás BorrásNicolás BorrásNicolás Borrás was a Spanish painter, active in Valencia.Going to Valencia at an early age to study under Vicente Juan Macip, Borrás became the latter's most noteworthy pupil. Borrás's works generally resemble those of Macip and some of them have been taken for his...
- HieronymitesHieronymitesHieronymites, or the Order of St. Jerome , is a common name for several congregations of hermits living according to the Rule of St. Augustine, with supplementary regulations taken from the writings of the 5th-century monk and scholar, St Jerome. The principal group with this name was founded in...
- Saint Vincent Ferrer
External links
- Website of the Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba
- Videos on youtube about the monastery
- Monastery's page on facebook
- The Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba
- The "Real Monasterio de San Jerónimo de Cotalba" - a slice of history
- The monastery on Valencia province Tourist Info
- The monastery on Gandia Tourist Info
- The monastery on La Safor area Tourist Info