Spain's Oldest Monastery School: Monasterio Cisterciense de la Espina

The Monasterio Cisterciense de la Espina, located in Valladolid, Spain, was founded in 1147 by Queen Sancha Raimúndez, sister of Emperor Alfonso VII. The queen received a thorn from the Crown of Thorns of Christ and built the monastery to house it. The first monks arrived from the Abbey of Claraval, sent by Saint Bernard of Claraval. Alfonso VII confirmed the donation of the monastery two years later. During the Spanish Civil War, the monastery was used as a concentration camp, housing over 4,300 Republican prisoners. Currently, vocational training in agricultural professionals and other agricultural specialists is imparted in the monastery, with the approval of the Ministry of Agriculture and later the Junta de Castilla y León.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons