Zamora Monasteries
Monastery Carmelita de San José
There is a small house with room for about 7 people for those
who seek spiritual rest and wish to take part in prayers with
the nuns that live in the monastery.
The church can be visited and has a very valuable altarpiece and
a piece of Santa Teresa by Gregorio Fernández. The monastery
cannot be visited.
Confectionary is made: cakes, bizcochetas. However it is only
available for the monastery and relatives.
Monastery of los Jerónimos
Construction began in 1408, founded by Fernando de Valencia (eldest
son of Fernando Alonso de Zamora). In the 15th century it housed
a theology and philosophy school where the first prior of El Escorial
and the confessor of Carlos V in the Monasterio de Yuste, were
formed.
A place of refuge for the procurators in the Comunera Revolt who,
whilst representing Zamora in the Court summoned by Carlos I in
La Coruña, betrayed the will of the people and consequently
their effigies were burnt in Zamora.
Monastery of San Salvador
It is said that in the 12th century there was a Templar monastery
on this spot, dedicated to Salvador. The crosses and beams have
stone inscriptions from the 17th century under the name of "de
los caballeros".
Was built in the beginning of the 13th century with three naves
with apse and chapels, its construction was conditioned by the
existence of a tower on the site , the northern nave of just one
section had sloping walls, supporting pillars, staggered, double,
pointed arches resting on vaults. The central nave is covered
with wooden armour.
The main arch of the middle nave was rebuilt in stone in the 16th
century, with its fonts and limestone masonry which was replaced
between 1676 and 1684 by pointed ones, the work of Francisco and
Lázaro de Vega which survives today, whilst the southern
façade was rebuilt with bricks and mortar along with the
roof. The rows of bricks strengthen the walls with limestone and
rock.
The northern and western doorways are under Moorish arches decorated
uniformly in the typical Mudejar style.
The inside of the church was covered with paintings which gave
light and colour to the church to such an extent that it was called
"el pintado" (the painted one) in the 14th century.
The reforms of the 16th century: adornments, decorations, murals
depicting Moorish images from the past: spurs, lozenges, snares,
textiles, painted bricks..and even lions confronting each other.
Baroque style central apse with the Holy Father and the symbols
of the Evangelists which were added after the reformation of the
17th century.
It ceased to be a parish church in 1896 and fell into disuse after
which it deteriorated until it became a ruin until 1929 when it
was declared a Listed National Monument. The temple was conditioned
as a museum for medieval sculpture.
Monastery of Santa María
In the 10th century Córdoba monks from Mazote founded the
Monasterio de San Martín de "Castaneira" or "Castiñeira",
using, according to findings and testimonies, the remains of another
Visigoth construction. Its age of splendour is in the 12th century
when they join the Cluny Order.
With the arrival of the Benedictine Reform to the Iberian Peninsula,
it becomes part of the Cister Order and Pedro Cristino named abbott
in 1150, carries out important work on the monastery.
It is under the rule of the Cister Order that most of the building
work on the church of the monastery (12th century) and other buildings
is carried out.
Slate and granite are amongst the building material used. At the
end of the church is the apse and smaller side apses, the central
apse is noteworthy with its three large windows of multiple archivolts
and two pairs of columns. The northern gable end has small pointed
arches and the southern one has a central window and other veins.
In the west façade there is a double arch and a Proto-Gothic
rose window as well as a main doorway built in 1571. There is
a representation of the patron saint, San Martín, sharing
his cape with a beggar and the inscription of the old foundation.
Seriously affected by the Desmortizaciones (state appropriation
of church lands), only the Vestry or Chapter Room (15th century)
remain along with part of what would have been the Abbott's rooms,
built in 1760, which were restored as from 1987 and dedicated
to the Centro de Interpretacion del Parque del Lago de Sanabria.
Latin cross shaped building with thick pillars. There is a vault
and the main nave is arched.
The columns are attached to the pillars and the capitals are decorated
with human and vegetable forms.
Of the sculptured statues "in mannerist taste and style"
the figures of San Bernardo, the Virgen con el Niño, etc.
stand out. Along these lines the figure of San Martín on
horseback offering his cloak to the poor man (16th century), carried
out in wood, is interesting. In the side naves we find other smaller
Baroque style altarpieces, presided over by San José, San
Juan Bautista and San Benito.
Lower room of Centro de Interpretación. The sarcophagus
carried out in stone with walnut wood covers where figures in
noblemans clothes are depicted, are noteworthy.
Monastery of Santa Sofía
The central patio, built in 1580 is noteworthy along with the
14th century church door.
These Premostratense nuns have about 10 rooms available for rest
and prayer. Nuns convent. Only the courtyard can be visited
Santa María de Moreruela
Its architecture is 12th century Cistercian and Transitional Gothic,
modified in the 17th century. The guesthouse was built in the
16th and 17th centuries. Of the monastic portal in the south side
only a few rooms with brick arches remain.
Next to the guesthouse a cloister was built; at the northern gate
the signs showing the route of the Camino de Santiago are found.
The Romanic style church with Gothic influences has three naves,
cross shaped with a large end room (the oldest part, from the
12th century). The main chapel resting on eight pillars, with
a semicircular apse leads to seven smaller apses, each with an
altar. There are Gothic style vaults with pointed arches and capitals
and supports decorated with vegetable images.
The stairway leads to the guestrooms, next to the vestry and in
front of the Puerta de los Muertos (access to the cemetery). The
Puerta de Monjes led to the Chapter Cloister. On the other side
is the Puerta del Pueblo which led to a semi-circular tower and
the Puerta de Conversos (converts who helped the monks in return
for a plate of food or lodging).
There used to be a railing separating the village people from
the monks, in the middle of the central nave. Only the rooms of
the west side remain of the Cloister. In the chapter room only
three of the nine sections remain; contains vaults as the abbots
and a few benefactors were buried here.
The Monks Room is from the beginning of the 14th century, divided
into two naves by two cruciform pillars with pointed arches and
semi-circular transversal arches with stone vaults. The Novices
Wing is from the 17th century. It was a main Cistercian centre.
Zamora guide