What do you know about the Monastery of Santes Creus?
The regions of the Alt Camp and the Conca de Barberà, in the interior of the Costa Daurada, together with the Urgell in the province of Lleida, group a host of attractions that are part of the Cistercian Route. Each of these regions has a Cistercian monastery: Santes Creus, Poblet and Vallbona de les Monges, respectively.
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Founded in 1168 and continuously active until 1835, the Monastery of Santes Creus is one of the largest and best-preserved Cistercian complexes. During its heyday, it was a leading centre of spiritual life, learning and colonisation of the territory. Today there is no monastic life there, so the whole complex can be visited, and its imposing majesty will surely make you feel small. The royal tombs of Peter the Great, James II and his wife Blanche of Anjou, as well as that of Admiral Roger of Lauria, rest in the church.
Don't miss the staging and audiovisual presentation 'El món del Cister' (The World of the Cistercians), considered one of the best in Europe of its kind, which explains very clearly what the Cistercian order meant and what its legacy was. Santes Creus is a fascinating monastery that, moreover, hides many details, such as its stained-glass windows, which date from the 13th century —among the oldest in our region— and are one of the few sets of Cistercian glass on the whole continent. Stylistically, they are governed by austerity of colour and figures, which is why their geometric designs are so elaborate.
The former monks' dormitory, meanwhile, has architectural and acoustic features that give the room an optimal resonance for concerts, which are programmed on summer evenings in the room. Visiting the monastery you will discover many other details, such as the curious sculpted figures on the capitals or the secrets of the royal tombs. And if you enjoy listening to the endless stories and legends surrounding this monastic space, don't miss the activity 'Santes Creus, un camí de llegendes' (Santes Creus, a Path of Legends), where you will breathe in a host of emotions and feelings, experiences and ways of living together that the monastery walls silently keep and that history books do not record. Tales that will bring you closer to the values lived and defended there, to moments of fullness and of tension, of rise and decline, through human stories.
During the Christmas festivities, and in December, they also organise 'La Taula parada' (The Set Table), an initiative to find out how the monastic community used to celebrate the feast of Saint Lucy.
As we said, the Monastery of Santes Creus, together with Poblet —also in the interior of the Costa Daurada— and Vallbona de les Monges in the province of Lleida, is part of the Cistercian Route. Following the GR-175 path, the three Cistercian monasteries can be linked, while discovering a host of places to visit and enjoy the landscape of the Alt Camp as well as the Conca de Barberà and the Urgell.