Abbey of San Pedro el Viejo
Encyclopedia
The Abbey of San Pedro el Viejo is a former Benedictine monastery in the old town of Huesca
, Aragon
, Spain
. The present Romanesque
structure was built by the Benedictines in the 12th century. The name "San Pedro el Viejo", or "Saint Peter the Old", refers to the fact that the Visigothic monastery building that was given to them predated the Moorish occupation.
The site now consists mostly of the cloisters and the church. It has been a national monument
since 1886, and is one of the most important buildings for the Romanesque architecture of Aragon.
The former chapter room has been since the 13th century the Chapel of San Benito or Royal Pantheon (Panteón Real) and contains the tombs of two kings of Aragon: Alfonso I, the Battler, and his brother and successor Ramiro II
, the Monk.
Huesca
Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
, Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The present Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
structure was built by the Benedictines in the 12th century. The name "San Pedro el Viejo", or "Saint Peter the Old", refers to the fact that the Visigothic monastery building that was given to them predated the Moorish occupation.
The site now consists mostly of the cloisters and the church. It has been a national monument
Monument (Spain)
The current legislation regarding historical monuments in Spain dates from 1985. However, Monumentos nacionales were first designated in the nineteenth century. It was originally a fairly broad category for national heritage sites protecting, for example, the Alhambra...
since 1886, and is one of the most important buildings for the Romanesque architecture of Aragon.
The former chapter room has been since the 13th century the Chapel of San Benito or Royal Pantheon (Panteón Real) and contains the tombs of two kings of Aragon: Alfonso I, the Battler, and his brother and successor Ramiro II
Ramiro II of Aragon
Ramiro II , called the Monk, was King of Aragon from 1134 until withdrawing from public life in 1137...
, the Monk.