Monastery of Santa María de Sacramenia

Description

The Monastery of Santa María (Sacramenia, Segovia) was founded in 1141 by Alfonso VII of León, although its construction took place mainly between the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Over time, it underwent various renovations, most notably the completion of its church between the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Its decline began in the 19th century with successive confiscations of church property. In 1820, an inventory of its assets was drawn up, and the following year the complex was acquired by Ramón Cano, a lawyer from Castrillo de Duero, who quickly proceeded to dismantle much of the monastery (Merino de Cáceres, 2003). This plundering left the building in a severely deteriorated state, with the church as the only relatively well-preserved part. Although the monks recovered the monastery in 1823 and began some urgent repairs, their stay was brief. The confiscation promoted by Mendizábal in 1835 led to the definitive sale of the monastic complex (Merino de Cáceres, 1991). Today it is known as the Spanish Ancient Monastery andis located in North Miami Beach (Florida, United States).

Bibliography

• MERINO DE CÁCERES, José Miguel (2003): El monasterio de Santa María de Sacramenia, Real Academia de Historia y Arte de San Quirce, Segovia.
• MERINO DE CÁCERES, José Miguel (1991): "El traslado del claustro de Sacramenia. Arthur Byne y su planimetría sobre el monasterio", Segovia cisterciense. Estudios de historia y arte sobre los monasterios segovianos de la orden del Císter, Monasterio de Santa María y San Vicente el Real, Segovia.