Abbey of San Pedro de Siresa facts for kids
The Abbey of San Pedro de Siresa (also called the Monastery of Saint Peter of Siresa) is a very old monastery in the Valle de Hecho in Aragon, Spain. It was built a long time ago, between the 800s and the 1200s. It's the monastery furthest north in Aragon.
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A Look Back in Time: The Abbey's History
People have lived and built here for many centuries. Some discoveries from 1991 suggest there might have been buildings here even during the time of the Visigoths. A very old Roman road used to pass nearby. This road connected important cities like Zaragoza to France, going over a mountain pass called Puerto de Palo.
In the year 833, a leader named Galindo Garcés, who was the Count of Aragon, and his wife Guldegrut, gave money to build a monastery here. Zechariah became the first abbot, which is like the head of the monastery. He organized it following special rules from a meeting in Aachen in 816.
Around 852, a traveling monk and smart person named Eulogius of Córdoba wrote about how amazing the monastery and its library were. Eulogius found and copied old Greek and Roman books there. These books had been lost in his home region of Cordoba. They included famous works like the Aeneid, poems by Horace and Juvenal, and The City of God by Augustine of Hippo.
In 864, the monastery received a large gift of land. This land stretched from Javierregay to the Pyrenees mountains. It included the Subordán Aragon river. When he died, Galindo Aznárez I, who was the next Count of Aragon, gave the monastery the town of Hecho. He also gave them many vineyards and farms.
The monastery also became important when the old church leadership in Huesca was brought back. Records from the 900s show how important the monastery was. They used their money to buy even more land.
Exploring the Abbey's Design
None of the very first buildings of the monastery are left today. Only the church remains. It was probably rebuilt around 1083. This was when the monastery was at its richest and most powerful. The old abbey was changed that year. More building work continued in the next century, but then it stopped.
The church is a large building shaped like a Latin cross. This means it has a long main part and two shorter parts sticking out. There is a secret room, called a crypt, under the main curved end of the church. The outside of this end is shaped like a polygon. Very old parts of the building can be seen at the bottom of the main area.
The front door and wall are very big and strong. The outside has two arches and a small bell. Above the door, there is a special symbol called a Chi Rho. This symbol uses the first two letters of "Christ" in Greek.
The middle part of the cross shape has a round dome. This dome fell down after a fire. It was replaced with a different type of ceiling. The curved end of the church has three openings. These are topped with arches that are just for decoration.
Some repair work was done in the 1200s. However, these new parts were not as well made as the older ones.
The church still has some of its original decorations. These include a carving of Christ Descending, probably from the 1100s. There is also a statue of the Virgin Mary from the 1200s. A beautiful Gothic Altarpiece is dedicated to different saints. Interestingly, there are almost no sculptures in the building. This makes it look very plain and simple. The Chi Rho symbol on the front is one of the only decorations.
The church was named a National Monument in 1931. Since then, many projects have been done to fix and restore it. Today, the church is still used as the main church for the Siresa area.
Legends
According to old stories, the Holy Grail was once found hidden in a crack in the wall of this church. However, similar legends are told about several other churches in this quiet and old area.
External Web Sites
- Siresa description, with various descriptions, photographs and plans
- Careful Description, with photographs
- Detailed description, with photographs
- Web site of Garcia Omedes, with description and photographs
See also
In Spanish: Monasterio de San Pedro de Siresa para niños
