Monastery of Santa Cruz de Ribas facts for kids
The Monastery of Santa Cruz de Ribas, also known as Santa Cruz de la Zarza, is an old Spanish monastery that is now partly in ruins. It was built by the Premonstratensians, a group of monks. You can find it in the low valley of the Carrión River, between the towns of Ribas de Campos and Monzón de Campos. This area is part of Tierra de Campos in the Province of Palencia, Castile and León.
The monastery's design mixes two styles: Romanesque and Gothic. This is sometimes called the proto-Romano-Gothic or Cistercian architecture style. It is officially listed as a special heritage site in Spain, known as a Bien de Interés Cultural.
History of the Monastery
The Monastery of Santa Cruz de Ribas was started in 1176. King Alfonso VIII of Castile brought the Premonstratensian monks here from another monastery called Monastery of Santa María de Retuerta. During the Middle Ages, the monastery was part of the lower area of Monzón de Campos.
Later, in the late 1500s, King Philip II of Spain gave the monastery a lot of money (50,000 ducats). This was to help pay for repairs and make the monastery bigger, so the monks wouldn't have to move to Valladolid. In 1592, King Philip II and his children even visited the monastery!
However, in 1627, most of the Premonstratensian monks moved away. This made the monastery much smaller, turning it into what is called a priory. The monastery faced more challenges, including a fire in 1715 and a big flood in 1739. Finally, in 1841, the monastery's property was taken by the government. This process, called desamortización, happened to many old monasteries in Spain.
See also
- Important cultural sites in Palencia Province
- For more information in Spanish: Monasterio de Santa Cruz de Ribas para niños
Images for kids
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Monastery of Santa Cruz de Ribas
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Inside the monastery
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The altar
