Rioseco Abbey facts for kids
Rioseco Abbey was once a large Cistercian monastery. It is located in a place called Rioseco, in the province of Burgos, Spain. The abbey sits in the beautiful Valle de Manzanedo, close to the River Ebro.
Contents
History of Rioseco Abbey
How the Abbey Started
In 1148, a group of Cistercian monks from Valbuena Abbey started a new monastery. They began in a small old hermitage in Quintanajuar.
Later, in 1171, they received a gift. It was an old monastery in Rioseco. We don't know much about this very old monastery before the monks got it.
The monks moved around a bit. By the early 1200s, probably in 1204, they settled at the old Rioseco monastery site.
You can still see the ruins of the first church there. But after a big flood, the monks moved again. By 1236, they were on higher ground, a little to the north. The old church then became a local parish church.
Life in the Middle Ages
By the 1300s, Rioseco Abbey was very rich and powerful. It was one of the strongest Cistercian monasteries in Castile.
However, like many other monasteries, it faced tough times in the mid-1400s. But then, in the 1600s, it grew strong and wealthy once more.
The End of the Abbey
During the Peninsular War (1808-1814), French soldiers took many supplies from the monastery. The monks had to leave from 1809 until 1814.
They came back, but not for long. In 1820, the government took over the monastery. Most of its belongings were sold at an auction.
The monastery buildings themselves did not find a buyer. So, they were left empty. Local people used parts of the abbey as storage, a church, and a cemetery.
In the 1850s, the remaining buildings were still in good shape. The church, especially, was magnificent. But a family called Arquiaga deliberately stripped it of everything valuable. This is how the abbey became the ruins we see today.
What Rioseco Abbey Looks Like
The monastery was built in a style called Herreriano. Today, you can still see an amazing spiral staircase. The stone walls of the church are still standing. Some parts of the ceilings still have traces of old paint.
The abbey's old records, called a cartulary, are now kept in the Archivo Histórico Nacional in Spain.
Protecting the Abbey
Rioseco Abbey is in a very bad state. Because of this, it is on the "Red List of Imperilled Buildings." This list is for important buildings that are in danger. The group Hispania Nostra added it to the list in 2006.
See also
In Spanish: Monasterio de Santa María de Rioseco para niños
