The Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Oseira is hard to miss. It looms over the valley like a fortress -- which is why it earned the nickname Escorial Gallego, the Galician Escorial. It's the architectural highlight of the entire Camino Sanabrés and worth every minute you spend here.
The abbey church, built between approximately 1200 and 1239, is considered one of the masterpieces of Cistercian architecture on the Iberian Peninsula. The style is ogival Romanesque, austere in the Cistercian tradition but with a quiet grandeur. Inside, look for the Sala de las Palmeras -- the former chapter house, where 15th-century vaulted ribs fan out from the columns like palm fronds. It's an extraordinary room.
The monastery has three cloisters, monumental staircases, and a general air of having been built for eternity. Guided visits are available (check at the entrance for times). The monks are Trappists -- Cistercians of the Strict Reform -- and they returned here in 1929 after nearly a century of absence.
The monastery celebrates its patron saint feast day and offers periodic choral performances. Check locally for dates, as they vary.
Founded in 1137 and admitted to the Cistercian Order in 1141, Oseira was the engine of the region's economy for centuries. The monks developed agriculture, milling, and baking techniques that shaped the surrounding villages -- including Cea's famous bread tradition.
Almost all of the medieval monastery was destroyed in a major fire in 1552 and subsequently rebuilt. The monks were expelled in 1835 under the Royal Decree of Ecclesiastical Exclaustration that shuttered monasteries across Spain. The building deteriorated for nearly a century before the Trappists arrived in 1929 to restore and reoccupy it. They've been here ever since.
The way out of Oseira is not along the road (though cyclists may prefer it for the gentler grade) but rather up a steep track adjacent to the road near the restaurants.
The camino passes the hamlets of Vilarello (2 km), O Outeiro (2.5 km), Carballediña (1.5 km), and A Gouxa (bar) (0.4 km) before nearing the motorway and Castro Dozón.
Accommodation in Oseira.
| Albergue del Monasterio de Oseira 8€ 40 |
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