Santo Domingo de Silos

The most celebrated monument in Santo Domingo de Silos is the monastery, a universal Romanesque gem, which has become a centre of spiritual and artistic pilgrimage.

The monastery, of Visigothic origin, was razed to the ground by the Arabs, and rebuilt by Santo Domingo, whose remains lie in a sarcophagus that was carved on the rock. Its sensational Romanesque cloister, whose most important storey is the bottom one, dates from the 11th and 12th centuries, and has beautiful capitals, with varied sculptures depicting a variety of themes, resting on double columns. On its corners we can see eight remarkable relieves that depict scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, and on the ceiling, a Mudejar coffer from the 14th century, representing scenes from daily medieval life. The monastery, managed by Benedictine monks who celebrate Gregorian masses, has a rich library, and an 18th-century pharmacy, which holds a collection of Talavera jars, and a lab full of antique instruments.