Galicia's smallest abbey, in a daunting spot

In the quiet Galician valley of Penamaior, the remains of one of the smallest Cistercian monasteries still chill out. Today, the ruins of Penamaior Abbey lie in a meadow, surrounded by tall grass. The abbey is located in the parish of Penamaior, within the council of Becerreá. The earliest reference to Penamaior Abbey dates back to the year 922, when King Ordoño II ordered its abbot, Virila, to repair Samos Monastery, which was clearly in decay. Virila sent 16 of his monks to Samos to carry out this task.

By then, Penamaior had already been built, though the current building was constructed a little later, as the lintel of the entrance was carved in 1177. In 1188, Penamaior depended as a priory of the Monastery of Carracedo. By 1203, Carracedo was affiliated with the Abbey of Cister, with ten monasteries under its control, including the one of Penamaior. In 1225, Penamaior appeared with the title of abbey that depended on Cister. In 1505, Penamaior joined the Congregation of Castilla, merging with San Salvador de Salamanca and definitively losing its abbatial dignity.

Penamaior was one of the smallest Cistercian monasteries in Galicia, with a community that numbered three members in 1584, or seven in 1803.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons