Monasterio de Santa María de la Armedilla

The Monasterio de Santa María de la Armedilla was a monastery of the Order of San Jerónimo, now in ruins, located near Cogeces del Monte in the province of Valladolid. Its origins began with the casual discovery by shepherds of an image of the Virgin Mary in a cave excavated in the rock. This led to a Marian cult and the construction of the monastery, favored by the proximity of quarries and lime deposits, as well as a guaranteed water supply.

Records of the complex appear at the beginning of the 15th century when the Lord of Cuéllar, the infante D. Fernando de Antequera, proposed donating the site to the monks of la Mejorada de Olmedo. Significant works were carried out in the 16th century, including the construction of the Jerónima church and a three-story cloister. The site also served as a temporary residence for the Lords of Cuéllar, the Dukes of Alburquerque, who enjoyed the monastery's patronage for centuries.

The monastery was active from the 15th to the 19th century, undergoing continuous renovations and a notable water supply network through clay channels that provided running water to the cells. However, during the second decade of the 19th century, the monastery began to decline and deteriorate due to disamortization. It eventually passed into private hands and was used as a quarry.

Today, the remains of the church nave, the walls and ruins of the three-story cloister, and the wineries and cisterns are still visible. Traces of the first medieval construction and the palace dependencies remain. The church retains a late Gothic floor plan with a single nave and a star-shaped vault, while the north wall overlooks the valley where the convent's orchard once lay.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons