Santo Tomás de Ávila Monastery

Description

The origins of the Royal Monastery of Santo Tomás de Ávila can be traced back to Hernán Núñez de Arnalte, who served as secretary and treasurer to the Catholic Monarchs. In his will, he asked Torquemada and his wife, María de Ávila, to continue the construction he had begun. Martín de Solórzano entered his service and began building the complex (González, 2006). The monarchs also played a role in the construction of the church, where the tomb of Prince Juan, designed by Fancelli, would be located. They also endowed it with high-quality manuscripts, some of which are now scattered throughout The Morgan Library (New York) or The Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge).

Bibliography

• FERNÁNDEZ POMAR, (1986): "Manuscritos e incunables jurídicos de Santo Tomás de Ávila en la Biblioteca Nacional", nº 56, Anuario De Historia Del Derecho Español.
• GONZÁLEZ, Donato (2006): En torno al Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás de Ávila, Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás, Ávila.
• VILLASEÑOR, Fernando (2009): "Los libros de coro del Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás de Ávila", nº 180, Reales Sitios: Revista del Patrimonio Nacional.