Santa Cecília de Elins facts for kids

Santa Cecília de Elins is an old monastery in Catalonia, Spain. It's found southeast of a village called Cassovall. This special place is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural site, which means it's very important for its history and culture.

History of Santa Cecília de Elins

This monastery was first mentioned in old records way back in the year 865. It was a place where monks, who are religious men, lived and prayed. They followed the rules of Saint Benedict, which is why it's called a Benedictine monastery.

However, by the 900s, the monastery started to become less important. It wasn't as active or powerful as it used to be.

A New Church

Even though it was in decline, something new happened in 1080. On December 29 of that year, a new church was officially opened at the monastery. A very important religious leader, the Bishop of Urgell named Bernat Guillem, led the ceremony. This new church had three special altars, which are like holy tables. They were dedicated to Saint Cecilia, the Virgin Mary, and Santa Fe.

Decline and Ruins

Sadly, the monastery's troubles continued. In the 1300s, it started to decline even more. By 1383, it was changed to a "priory." A priory is a smaller type of monastery, which shows it had lost much of its original importance.

Eventually, the buildings fell into disrepair. By the year 1680, the monastery was mostly in ruins. It stood there, old and broken, for many years.

A New Purpose

Much later, in the 1940s, the old monastery found a new purpose. It was no longer a religious building but was changed into a farmhouse. People lived and worked there, using the ancient stone walls for their homes and farms.