Monastery of Irache facts for kids
The Santa María la Real de Irache (also known as Iratxe in Basque) is a very old Benedictine monastery located in the town of Ayegui, Navarre, Spain. It is believed to have started around the eighth century, but the buildings you see today were built later.
Right next to the monastery, there is a winery called Bodegas Irache. This winery continues a long tradition of making wine that began when the monks lived there.
A Look Back in Time
The monastery was first mentioned in a document from the year 958. It was also noted in a gift from King Sancho I Garces in the 10th century.
Irache became a very important place for pilgrims. These travelers were walking the Way of St. James to Santiago. The monastery served as a hospital, offering care to those on their long journey.
Later, in 1813, the monastery helped people who were fighting against the French army led by Napoleon. It provided medical care to soldiers. Also, during the Third Carlist War (1872-1876), soldiers from the Carlist side who were hurt in the Battle of Montejurra came to Irache for help.
In 1936, a secret meeting took place at Irache. Important leaders, including Manuel Fal Conde and General Mola, met there. This meeting was important because it helped start a major conflict across Spain.
Irache's University
In the 16th century, the monastery started a college. This college grew to become Navarre's very first university, called the Universidad Real de Hyrache.
It became a special pontifical university in 1615. This means it had a direct connection to the Pope. The university taught students for many years before it closed in 1824.
What Irache Is Today
The monastery has been a protected monument since 1877. This means it is a very important historical building.
In 2007, there were plans to turn parts of the monastery, except for the church, into a parador. A parador is a special type of hotel, often in historic buildings. The idea was to offer nice places for travelers on the Way of St. James to stay. However, because of money problems, this project was put on hold in 2012.
More recently, in 2020, the monastery was used as a filming location. It became the setting for a boarding school in the Amazon Prime TV show The Boarding School: Las Cumbres.
See also
- List of early modern universities in Europe
- History of early modern period domes
