Cistercian Monasteries: Poblet and Santas Creus

Without a doubt, the majestic architecture of Poblet Abbey will not leave anyone indifferent. From our tour you will learn who lives within these walls, who created Poblet and made this monastery his life choice. Who are the monks? The ancient term "monk" comes from the Greek root meaning "lonely." A monk is a Christian who wants to live alone with God. The foundation of the monastery, shrouded in legends, is attributed to the ruler of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer 4, who generously donated land to the monks of the French Cistercian Abbey of Fontfraud. In 1151, after the conquest of the Pradas and Siran mountain ranges from the Muslims, a community of ten “white” monks was founded on the territory of this once significant but later destroyed abbey, who passed here through the Pyrenees Mountains.

The history of the monastery of Santas Creus began with the land in Sardañol del Valles, donated in 1150 by the aristocrat Guillem-Ramon de Montcada to the Russillon Abbey of the Cistercians of Granselv for the foundation of the monastic monastery. The first centuries of the existence of Santas Creus were marked by the establishment of strong ties with the local noble families, which contributed to the growth of wealth and the expansion of the land holdings of the monastery.