The Stone Monastery, an attraction in Zaragoza

Spain It has many tourist destinations and sometimes you wonder why you go out to travel the world when there is so much to see and enjoy here. But that's how we are, tireless travelers in the footsteps of museums, ancient temples, beaches, enchanted mountains or ancient castles and monasteries.

Like today that the call summons us Stone Monastery, a tourist destination related to a religious order that came to these lands many centuries ago. If you like history, old buildings and natural recreation, then we invite you to visit this ancient medieval monastery.

The Cistercian Order

Also called the Cistercian Order, this Catholic order still exists Although its founding dates back to 1098 near Dijon, France, in the ancient Roman city of cistercium. It was one of the most important religious orders in the XNUMXth century, very influential and rapidly expanding.

The Cistercian monks promulgated the simple life, ascetic, manual work and respect for the liturgy. They wore a white habit, hence they were sometimes called "white monks", and there was also a female branch that, following in the footsteps of men, spread to Spain, England, Denmark, Germany and Belgium.

In the case of Spain, the Order has two congregations, the Congregation of Aragon and the Congregation of San Bernardo de Castilla.. To the first belongs the Monastery of Piedra that summons us today.

The Stone Monastery

The monastery It was founded in 1194 by a group of thirteen monks from the Poblet Monastery. What was the historical framework of this foundation? The order was expanding across the peninsula and the repopulation process of the second half of the XNUMXth century it was ideal. The royal couple of Alfonso II of Aragón and his wife Sancha de Castilla donated the Piedra castle to the monks of Poblet to found the monastery.

The first buildings began to be built in 1203 and by 1218 they were almost finished to live in them. There were three stages, one gothic primitivea at the beginning, a renaissance gothic secondly, during the fifteenth century, and finally a stage style classic baroque typical of the eighteenth century. They were austere buildings and due to their age they have had to be restored several times.

The Stone Monastery was inhabited for centuries until the monks had to abandon it in 1835 for the confiscation of Mendizabal. A few years later it was bought and turned into a tourist attraction. Since 1983 it is also National Monument.

Visit the Stone Monastery

It is reached by road and has a free parking area. Works like playground but it also has a spa hotel and good restaurants. It is a complex that can be divided into two large sectors, one is the park and the other the old monastery.

In broad strokes here you can stroll through magical landscapes, taste delicious regional food, visit a fantastic grotto, waterfalls, beautiful lakes and medieval ruins. Now let's see what places we can visit: the Diana Bath, the Lake of the Ducks, the Trinidad Waterfall, the Pantera, Carmela and Bacante Grotto, the Artist's Grotto, the Caprichosa waterfall and its viewpoint, Pradilla and Los Vadillos Park, the High and Low Fresnos Waterfalls, the Iris Cave and its grotto, the Cola de Caballo Waterfall, the Mirror Lake, the Fish Farming, the Raptor Corral and much more ...

El Diana's Bath It is one of the first waterfalls that are seen as soon as you enter the park and it is about waterfalls that are surrounding a larger waterfall, The Capricious. This major waterfall is large and is only a ten minute walk from the entrance. Much noise, much steam.

La Cola de Caballo is the highest waterfall in the park as it is 50 meters high. You know her in the second stage of the walk and from the inside because of the call Grotto Iris which is nothing more than a trail of viewpoints that go from the upper part to the huge cave in the lower part, at the foot of the phenomenal waterfall.

El Mirror Lake It is a beautiful, large, calm pond, next to a huge and imposing rock wall. Standing there contemplating it is beautiful. Finally, you can visit the fish farm and see some birds of prey such as vultures, Egyptian vultures or eagles in a daily show.

That with respect to the natural beauties of the Stone Monastery Historic Garden Park, but of course the monastery itself remains. There are guided tours and there are usually diverse exhibitions. The guided tour of the monumental area includes the Chapter House, the Cloister, the Church, the DO Calatayud Wine Museum, the Baroque Altar, the Carriage Room, the Reproduction of the Reliquary Triptych, a Chocolate History Exhibition and the heater.

It is a walk through different styles: Gothic, Baroque, Mudejar and Renaissance. But we have named two elements that are a bit out of tune with an old stone monastery: wine and chocolate. Why? Well, wine has been a classic in the area since the second century BC and the monks promoted the vines and wineries, so there is the museum that is included in the Calatayud Wine Route.

And the Chocolate? Well the Monastery of Piedra has the honor of being the first place in Europe where chocolate was cooked brought from America. Legend has it that a monk crossed the ocean and brought cocoa and the recipe to make it, in the XNUMXth century. By the XNUMXth century, cocoa was already common among the monks of this monastery. The Chocolate Museum works in the Coventual Kitchen.

Finally, you can stay at the hotel-spa that works within the new cloister, a 140th century building. It has capacity for 62 guests and there are XNUMX rooms occupying the former monastic cells. The hotel has a spa, restaurants, bars and an outdoor pool.

Practical information to visit the Monasterio de Piedra:

  • If you buy the ticket online you have a discount and direct access through the ticket offices.
  • Admission per adult (12 to 64 years) costs 14 euros, children 40 euros and over 9s the same rate.
  • The Park / Spa ticket includes the entrance to the park and the monastery plus a 70-minute thermal circuit at 34 euros.

You already know, if you want to enjoy a couple of days combining history, beautiful landscapes, wine, chocolate and relaxing massages, then you come to Nuévalos, in the Calatayud region, in Aragon, to the Stone Monastery.


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