Monastery of Nuestra Señora de La Armedilla

Description

The Monastery of Our Lady of Armedilla (Cogeces del Monte, Valladolid) dates back to the early 15th century, when Prince Ferdinand of Antequera decided to establish a house there for the Order of Saint Jerome in 1402. The location was not chosen at random, as an ancient hermitage had previously stood on that very site where an image of the Virgin was venerated, giving the place significant spiritual value (Herguedas Vela, 2017).

During its early years, the monastery enjoyed the support and protection of prominent figures of the time, such as John II of Aragon, Álvaro de Luna, and Juan Velázquez de Cuéllar, who helped drive its construction and consolidation. Thanks to this backing, the complex gained great significance. Later, when Beltrán de la Cueva received the title of Duke of Albuquerque, he became responsible for the territory of Cuéllar and, consequently, for the monastery itself. By 1517, work on the church must have been nearly complete; however, the monastery’s prosperity did not last indefinitely (Herguedas Vela, 2017). Throughout the 19th century, a series of events led to its decline. The French occupation during the War of Independence and the confiscation of church property resulted in the loss of numerous assets and severely weakened monastic life. In 1809, a decree forced the monks to return to their places of origin, leading to the expulsion of the community on October 10 of that same year. Although the monks managed to return, the institution was finally suppressed in 1835, bringing an end to monastic life at Armedilla (Herguedas Vela, 2017). The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas (United States) houses a tympanum depicting the Lamentation from the monastery.

Bibliography

• HERGUEDAS VELA, Miguel (2017): "El traslado de obras de arte para su conservación: la portada de Nuestra Señora de la Armedilla", en El legado de las obras de arte: tapices, pinturas, esculturas... Sus viajes a través de la Historia, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid.