The monastery was founded by Queen Violante de Aragón, wife of Alfonso X the Wise, in 1282 with nuns from Santa Clara de Zamora, the founder arranged her burial in that place, although she was possibly buried in the collegiate church of Santa María de Roncesvalles , place where he died. At the end of the 13th century, the land and the appropriate licenses were obtained to make the queen's founding wish come true.
At this time the monastery also obtained dominion over the lands that formed its properties, this meant that the house became very important and had both political and economic power. This manor was sold in 1560 to the Lord of Allariz, Pedro Pimentel. The life of the establishment continued with certain normality until it was affected by a fire in 1759, which practically meant the reconstruction of the monastery, and the misfortunes of the 19th century, with exclaustrations due to the French War and the confiscation.
There were several previous buildings and it was in the 18th century after a great fire when the current buildings were built, as well as the church (1759-1761) and the great cloister was added, one of the largest in the country, which has 3,364 m2 and 72 arches placed between wide shelves. We will also see several intermediate doorways, royal coats of arms with inscriptions and a Tuscan-type church built in 1766, with a large tower and colorful altars. The main altarpiece was made in 1788 by José Torres Sarmiento y Malvar y Juan de Araujo. The set has a fountain whose trace is related to Juan de Villanueva (1739-1811) and its execution with Manuel Touriño Gosende.
In the 19th century and after the French invasion and confiscation, the monastery would remain abandoned for a time until mid-century when it was occupied again and recovered its growth.
Its interior houses true artistic treasures such as the Virgin Agrigadeira, made in ivory, or the Rock crystal Cross, both works from the 13th century.
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