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| Royal Abbey of Santa Maria de Poblet | |
|---|---|
Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Poblet | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Leadership | Abott Octavi Vilà i Mayo |
| Location | |
| Location | Vimbodí i Poblet (Tarragona),Catalonia,Spain |
  Shown within Catalonia | |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°22′51″N1°04′57″E / 41.380833°N 1.0825°E /41.380833; 1.0825 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Arnau Bargués [ca;es] |
| Type | Monastery |
| Style | Catalan Gothic |
| Website | |
| www | |
| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (iv) |
| Reference | 518 |
| Inscription | 1991 (15thSession) |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 13 July 1921 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0000197[1] |
Poblet Abbey, otherwise theRoyal Abbey of Santa Maria de Poblet (Catalan:Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Poblet), is aCistercian monastery, founded in 1151, located at the foot of thePrades Mountains, in thecomarca ofConca de Barberà, inCatalonia (Spain). It was founded by Cistercian monks from France. The main architect wasArnau Bargués [ca;es].
This monastery was the first of three sister monasteries, known as the Cistercian triangle, that helped consolidate power in Catalonia in the 12th century. (The other two areVallbona de les Monges andSantes Creus.)
Poblet was one of the two royal pantheons of the kings of theCrown of Aragon sinceJames I of Aragon (along withMonastery of San Juan de la Peña). Some of the most important royal sepulchres havealabaster statues that lie over the tomb. The kings have lion sculptures at their feet, while the queens have dogs.[2]
Peter IV of Aragon (1319 – 1387) made it a condition, under solemn oath at the moment of crowning, that all the Aragonese kings be buried there. OnlyFerdinand II of Aragon broke the oath, after his kingdoms had been merged with theCrown of Castile, and was buried inGranada.[3]
At the height of its splendor, the monastery was home to more than 300 monks and had numerous "Cistercian farms" run by lay brothers who exploited its agricultural land and forests.[citation needed] The monastery buildings occupy about 12,000 square metres (129,000 sq ft).
The following kings and queens of Aragon are buried at Poblet Monastery:[4]
Additional notable figures interred here include the Hungarian queenBeatrice of Naples (1508),[5]Philip Wharton, 1st Duke of Wharton (1731) andArchduke Karl Pius of Austria, Prince of Tuscany,Carlist-Carloctavismo pretender as "Carlos VIII" (1953).
The tombs of the royals were restored by the Catalan sculptor Frederic Marés in 1948.[6]
The monastery, which had already suffered damage during theFirst Carlist War, was closed down due to theEcclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal in 1835 duringIsabella II of Spain's rule. TheDesamortización or secularization of the place brought monastic life to an end.On 24 July of the same year the monastery was plundered by representatives of theMendizábal's government and unruly mobs.[7] During the events all valuable paintings and furniture were removed and dispersed. Also parts of the monastery were destroyed by fire.
In the years that followed, the Monastery fell into disrepair and ruin; some of the main roofs caved in. The tombs of the rulers of the Crown of Aragon were desecrated and the remains were transferred and kept for a while in the Cathedral ofTarragona, thanks to the intervention of Rev. Antoni Serret from the neighboring town ofL'Espluga.[8]
Finally the monastery was refounded in 1940 by Italian monks of the same order and repair and reconstruction began. Close to the entrance of the church one building has been kept in a ruined state as a reminder. Remains of the deceased of the ancient Royal House of Aragon were put back in sepulchres, but are now co-mingled.
Poblet belongs to the Cistercian Congregation of the Crown of Aragon, along with Santa Maria de Solius and convents such as Santa Maria de Vallbona and Santa Maria de Valldonzella. The Abbot of Poblet is theex officio chairman of the Congregation. Today the monastic community of Poblet is composed of 29 professed monks, 1 regular oblate, 1 novice and 2 familiars.
Poblet Monastery has been aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site since 1991. The altar (1527) was sculpted byDamián Forment.
In 2010, Spanish architectMariano Bayón designed the Poblet Monastery Guesthouse.[9]
The current abbot is the 105th abbot.
For official site names, see each article or theList of World Heritage Sites in Spain. | ||
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