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What
is it?
The zeal to uncompromisingly observe the Rule of St.
Benedict, which rejects anything superfluous, resulted
in the emergence in the 11th century of a renaissance
monastic movement which took a stance against the wealth
and somewhat sophisticated lifestyle that some monasteries
had adopted. The need to regain the figure of the monk
as someone dedicated to prayer, hard work and caring
for pilgrims led to the birth of the Cistercian Order.
Based on the teachings of St. Bernard of Clairvaux,
the Cistercian monastic order spread across the whole
of Europe. The Catalan-Aragonese monarchs entrusted
the monks with the foundation of important centres endowed
with huge tracts of farmland which stimulated the economy
and demographic status of their new lands. In Catalonia,
communities were established in Poblet, Santes Creus
and Vallbona de les Monges in response to the need to
colonise the under-populated lands conquered from the
Saracens and located in the New Catalonia.
In architectural terms, the monasteries were built in
strict adherence to the spirit of the communities that
inhabited them and the stringent rules that governed
them. Around the central monastic nucleus, a variety
of buildings were constructed for administrative purposes,
hospitals, chapels for nobles or for monastery servants,
and houses for artisans, and in the surrounding areas
crop fields and farms were established.
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explains why the Cistercians were such masters at farming
and livestock raising, and consequently great drivers
of the social and economic development of their surrounding
area.
By connecting the three monasteries through the creation
of the well-known Cistercian Route, established in 1989,
a categorical boost was given to tourism in the three
counties of La Conca de Barberà, L'Alt Camp and
L'Urgell, which have spared no efforts to publicise
a region that is imbued with culture, gastronomy, tradition
and heritage. From the monasteries, which are the area's
leading attraction, visitors can tour the towns and
villages of the three counties that make up the Cistercian
Route.
This text introduces the paths of the Cistercian Route
in an ordered and schematic format. This is a journey
that gets the very most out of the monumental, cultural
and traditional heritage of the villages and hamlets
that are the pride of a region which, above all, offers
visitors the grandeur of its past and the humility of
a present that is still being written today.
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The
Monasteries
Monastery of Santes Creus
Among the three Cistercian
monasteries it is the one which is true to the finest
Bernardian building plan. Founded in 1150 and established
in Santes Creus since 1160, it went through glorious
stages until 1835, the year it was finally disbanded.
Nowadays it is the only monastery of the Ruta del Cister
which has not monastic life, allowing the visitor to
discover the treasures of this magnificent cenobium
where still remain in each stone the most alive memory
of its history. Let yourself be drawn by the history
and the legends that float around the monastery which
will be kindly explained by your guides. |
Monastery of Poblet
Poblet is the most important
feature of the men’s branch of the Cistercian order
which still houses a monks’ community. Poblet is a standing
out point of reference in the history of the Aragon Crown.
It was founded in 1150 having its trajectory cut in 1835 due
to the Civil war. With the monks’ reestablishment in
Poblet, an ambitious restoration and conservation process
began in 1940 which has returned to the monastery the majesty
it deserves. A guided visit starting at the Royal gate will
take you through the different chambers that shape the old
cloister. Let yourself be drawn by the guides explanations,
proper hosts of the monastery, and enjoy the magic of our
past which will help you, with no doubt, to know the reality
of our country. The monastery of Poblet is the biggest inhabited
cistercian group in Europe. It was declared Human Being by
the UNESCO at the Argel meeting in 1991.
Monastery
of Vallbona de Les Monges
First news date from
1153, but it was not until 1176 it got completely integrated
in the Cistercian order. It is the only monastery of
the women’s branch in the route that has kept
the nuns community for more than 800 years with no interruption
but the war period, of course. The Monastery of Vallbona
is a marvellous one. Of small size and endowed with
a rare beauty, it is a clear display of the woman importance
in the medieval ages. In its history we find a group
of daughters of leading Catalan noble families. Having
to do with the monastery, we must emphasise the two
gothic domes. The biggest of them leans its weight on
the nave of the church. One of the main features of
the monastery is the possibility to stay in its welcoming
guest house. In 1931 it was declared a historic and
artistic monument.
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