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Monastery of Santa María de Villanueva de Oscos

Villanueva de Oscos, Eo-Navia, Asturias

1 Villages · 2 Monuments

Spain › Principality of Asturias › Eo-Navia › Villanueva de Oscos › Monastery of Santa María de Villanueva de Oscos

Monastery of Santa María de Villanueva de Oscos

Monument · Villanueva de Oscos, Eo-Navia, Asturias

The monastery of Santa María, in Villanueva de Oscos, arose around 1136 from a donation by Alfonso VII to a group of hermits and was formally incorporated into the Cistercian order in 1203; the religious structure began to be built in 1182 under the direction of friar Martín de Vega, first for the Benedictines and later for the Cistercians. The building has been renovated several times since its foundation, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, but from the original Romanesque fabric the head of the church and the tomb of Juan Álvarez Osorio are preserved inside. It is declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection), and beside it the Living Way of the Cross is celebrated every year, declared a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Regional (a festival designation of regional tourist interest).

Photo: José Antonio Gil Martínez from Vigo, Spain (CC BY 2.0)

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