Veruela Abbey facts for kids
The Veruela Abbey (also known as the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Veruela) is a very old Cistercian abbey. It was built in the 12th century. You can find it near Vera de Moncayo in the Zaragoza province of Spain. Pedro de Atarés started building it in 1146.
Contents
History of Veruela Abbey
How the Abbey Started
The monastery and its church were founded in 1146 by Pedro de Atarés. He believed that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him. She told him to find a hidden statue of herself. This special statue was then placed in the monastery's chapel, where people still honor it today.
Pedro de Atarés did not live to see the abbey finished. Building the monastery took more than twenty years! But before he passed away, he joined the Cistercian monks who were already living in the partly built abbey.
Important Leaders and Changes
Some of the most well-known leaders (called abbots) of Veruela were Hernando de Aragón (who lived from 1498 to 1577) and the abbot who came after him, Lope Marco (who died in 1560). Lope Marco was famous for making the monastery much grander and bigger. His tomb says he changed it from "earthy to marble" and "small to large."
Amazing Architecture
The abbey has many different parts built at various times. This means you can see several building styles. For example, the chapter house on the south side of the cloister has a Byzantine style. It looks very much like the cloister at Westminster Abbey. The entire group of buildings, including the church, monastery, and cloister, is surrounded by a strong wall. This wall dates back to medieval times.
Famous People at the Abbey
Many interesting people have lived or stayed at Veruela Abbey. Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo, a famous Spanish scholar, called Antonio José Rodríguez "one of the most remarkable thinkers." Antonio José Rodríguez lived at Veruela and passed away there in 1777. Gustavo Becquer, a well-known Spanish poet, also made Veruela his home for a while. He stayed there when the religious monks were not allowed to live in the abbey.
From 1835 to 1877, regular priests looked after the buildings. After that, a group called the Jesuits moved in. With help from the duchess of Villahermosa, they worked hard to restore and fix up the church and monastery. Some of the Jesuits who lived at Veruela included:
- Antônio de Macedo Costa, who was a religious scholar at an important meeting called the First Vatican Council.
- Lluís Ignasi Fiter i Cava, who helped bring back a special youth group called the Sodality of Our Lady in Spain.
- Antonio Angelini-Rota, who was in charge of Veruela when a special ceremony took place in 1888 to honor the statue of the Blessed Virgin.
See also
- List of Bienes de Interés Cultural in the Province of Zaragoza
- List of Jesuit sites
