Monastery of Santa María de Sigena
Encyclopedia
Monasterio de Santa María de Sigena is a monastery in Villanueva de Sigena
, Aragon
, Spain
. It was constructed between 1183 and 1208, by will of queen Sancha of Castile, wife of Alfonso II of Aragon
, as a monastery for nuns from the richest families of Aragon.
The monastery flourished in the 14th century thanks to the royal support. In 1835, after state confiscations deprived of most of its revenues, it was abandoned by the nuns, although later some returned . In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War
, it suffered a fire, and was restored in the 1950s. Starting from 1985, it is inhabited by nuns of the Sisterhood of Belén y de la Asunción de la Virgen.
style, with elements from Cistercian
and Mudéjar
styles, such as the roofs. Notable is the main portal, featuring 14 archivolt
s.
The Romanesque cloister, once in ruins, owes its current appearance to a 1974 reconstruction. In 1936 the capitular hall's medieval paintings were moved the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
in Barcelona
.
Artworks include the royal tombs of Sancha and Peter of Castile; others, such as the painting walls, are in the National Museum of Art in Barcelona, while the former abbess' throne, in the Diocesan and Comarcal Museum of Lleida
.
Villanueva de Sigena
Villanueva de Sigena or Villanueva de Sijena is a small village in the rather arid and deserted area of Los Monegros, in the province of Huesca , near the Alcanadre river The local economy is mostly based on agriculture, particularly corn, sunflower, rice, and cereals, with goats and sheep.The...
, 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...
, 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 constructed between 1183 and 1208, by will of queen Sancha of Castile, wife of Alfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II or Alfons I ; Huesca, 1-25 March 1157 – 25 April 1196), called the Chaste or the Troubadour, was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1164 until his death. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragon and the first King of Aragon who was...
, as a monastery for nuns from the richest families of Aragon.
The monastery flourished in the 14th century thanks to the royal support. In 1835, after state confiscations deprived of most of its revenues, it was abandoned by the nuns, although later some returned . In 1936, 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...
, it suffered a fire, and was restored in the 1950s. Starting from 1985, it is inhabited by nuns of the Sisterhood of Belén y de la Asunción de la Virgen.
Architecture
The monastery church is on the Latin cross plan, with a single nave, a wide transept and three apse chapels. It is in RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style, with elements from Cistercian
Cistercian architecture
Cistercian architecture is a style of architecture associated with the churches, monasteries and abbeys of the Roman Catholic Cistercian Order. It was headed by Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux , who believed that churches should avoid superfluous ornamentation so as not to distract from the religious life...
and Mudéjar
Mudéjar
Mudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
styles, such as the roofs. Notable is the main portal, featuring 14 archivolt
Archivolt
An archivolt is an ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental moldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening...
s.
The Romanesque cloister, once in ruins, owes its current appearance to a 1974 reconstruction. In 1936 the capitular hall's medieval paintings were moved the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya , abbreviated as MNAC, is a museum of Catalan visual art located in Barcelona, Catalonia. It is housed in the Palau Nacional, built for the 1929 World's Fair...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Artworks include the royal tombs of Sancha and Peter of Castile; others, such as the painting walls, are in the National Museum of Art in Barcelona, while the former abbess' throne, in the Diocesan and Comarcal Museum of Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
.