The 900-year silence

The Monasterio de Santa Maria de Valdeiglesias in Pelayos de la Presa, Community of Madrid, is a silent witness to nearly a millennium. Built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks, it underwent significant renovations starting in the 15th century. Yet, its peaceful existence was short-lived. In 1836, a wholesale grabbing of ecclesiastical properties, desamortización, led to the departure of the monks and the monastery's decline. Yet, the monastery's story did not end there. Spanish architect Mariano García Benito purchased the crumbling ruins and began its renovations. In 2003, García Benito donated the monastery to the local municipality. Declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in 1983, the monastery stands today as a symbol of a bygone era and the passage of time.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons