Rueda Abbey facts for kids
Rueda Abbey is an old Cistercian monastery in Spain. It's also known as the "Royal Monastery of Our Lady of the Wheel." You can find it near Sástago in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon. The abbey sits on the left bank of the Ebro River, about 74 kilometers southeast of Zaragoza. Today, the government has saved these historic buildings. They plan to use them as a hotel and a place for meetings.
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History of Rueda Abbey
How the Monastery Started
The Cistercian monks first began their order in France in 1089. One of their early monasteries was Morimond Abbey, founded in 1115. Later, monks from Morimond started another abbey in France called Gimont Abbey in 1152.
These monks received land in Spain in 1162. King Alfonso II of Aragon gave them more land in 1182. This new land was near the Ebro River. Finally, around the early 1200s, Rueda Abbey was built. It was placed right next to the Ebro River, near a small island and a salt lake.
Building the Abbey
The main construction of Rueda Abbey began in the early 1200s. The first church was finished and ready for use before 1238. A special washing area, called a lavatorium, was also built in the 13th century. The cloisters, which are covered walkways, were made with strong stone arches.
By the early 1400s, the old Abbot's Palace was complete. Other buildings for farming and for people who weren't monks were also finished.
Amazing Water System
From the very beginning, the monks were very clever with water. They built a dam on the Ebro River. They also created a huge waterwheel, which is where the name "Rueda" comes from. "Rueda" means "wheel" in Spanish.
This waterwheel helped move river water to a Gothic aqueduct. The aqueduct then sent water to different parts of the monastery. You can still see many of these old water channels today. This system was very advanced for its time. It was an early example of indoor plumbing, waste disposal, and even a type of central heating.
In this area, which was a frontier land, the monks also developed many useful things. They created a path for carrying salt and equipment for salt production. They built a river dock and a boat for moving goods. They also had an oil mill, a flour mill, and an irrigation ditch. They grew grapes for wine and had an orchard.
Later Changes
More improvements were made to the abbey in the 1500s and 1600s. A beautiful Renaissance arcade was added. This connected the old medieval buildings to the Abbot's Palace. New rooms for young monks and bedrooms were built behind this arcade.
The Royal Gateway was built in the 1600s and 1700s. This grand entrance is still used today to enter the abbey complex.
Rueda Abbey Today
In the 1830s, the Spanish government took over many church lands. This event is known as the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal. Because of this, Rueda Abbey's land and buildings were sold. The site was then used for farming, and some parts of the abbey were damaged.
In 1990, the government of Aragon bought the property. They spent a lot of money to fix and restore the abbey. Today, it has a three-star hotel and meeting rooms. The parts from the Middle Ages have been carefully preserved. More restoration work is planned for the future.
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