The monastery of San Juan de la Peña () is a religious complex in the town of Santa Cruz de la Serós, at the south-west of

Jaca Jaca (; in Aragonese language, Aragonese: ''Chaca'' or ''Xaca'') is a city of northeastern Spain in the province of Huesca (province), Huesca, located near the Pyrenees and the border with France. Jaca is an ancient fort on the Aragón (river), ...

, in the

province of Huesca Huesca (; ), officially Huesca/Uesca, is a province of northeastern Spain, in northern Aragon. The capital is Huesca. Positioned just south of the central Pyrenees, Huesca borders France and the French departments of Haute-Garonne, Pyrénées- ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It was one of the most important monasteries in

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Its two-level church is partially carved in the stone of the great cliff that overhangs the foundation. ''San Juan de la Peña'' means "Saint John of the Cliff". The New Monastery of San Juan de la Peña was built in 1705 at a plateau further up the mountain. The lower church includes some Mozarabic architectural surviving elements, although most of the parts of the monastery (including the impressive cloister, under the great rock) are Romanesque. After the fire of 1675, a new monastery was built. The old monastery (built in 920) was declared a

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

on 13 July 1889, and the new monastery in 1923. In the 11th century the monastery became part of the

Benedictine Order The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...

and was the first monastery in Spain to use the Latin Mass. The cloister, built ca. 1190, contains a series of capitals with Biblical scenes that originally were arranged in chronological sequence, a design found elsewhere in the region.Pamela A. Patton, ''Pictorial Narrative in the Romanesque Cloister: Cloister Imagery and Religious Life in Medieval Spain'' (New York, Peter Lang, 2004) The monastery is built beneath a huge rock sometimes associated with the legendary "Monte Pano". The second floor contains a royal pantheon of kings of Aragon and Navarre. The present room, with its marbles and stucco medallions recalling historic battles, is mainly a design built during the administration of

Charles III of Spain Charles III (; 20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788) was King of Spain in the years 1759 to 1788. He was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Charles I (1731–1735); King of Naples, as Charles VII; and King of Sicily, as Charles III (or V) (1735� ...

in 1770. It contains the resting places of the following kings of Aragón: Ramiro I,

Sancho Ramírez Sancho Ramírez ( 1042 – 4 June 1094) was King of Aragon from 1063 until 1094 and King of Pamplona from 1076 under the name of Sancho V (). He was the eldest son of Ramiro I and Ermesinda of Bigorre. His father was the first king of Aragon ...

, and Peter I of Aragon and Navarre Legend said that the chalice of the

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, ''The Last Supper (Leonardo), The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic ...

(

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenanc ...

) was sent to the monastery for protection and prevention from being captured by the Muslim invaders of the Iberian Peninsula. It is alleged to be the same cup that was presented in 1438 by

Alfonso V of Aragon Alfonso the Magnanimous (Alfons el Magnànim in Catalan language, Catalan) (139627 June 1458) was King of Aragon and King of Sicily (as Alfons V) and the ruler of the Crown of Aragon from 1416 and King of Naples (as Alfons I) from 1442 until his ...

to the

Valencia Cathedral Valencia Cathedral, at greater length the Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia (, ), also known as St Mary's Cathedral, is a Catholic church in Valencia, Spain. The cathedral was consecrated in 1238 by ...

. See Santo cáliz for further details. The monastery is the namesake of the ''

Chronicle of San Juan de la Peña The ''Chronicle of San Juan de la Peña'' (or ) is an Kingdom of Aragon, Aragonese chronicle written in Latin language, Latin around before 1359 in the monastery of San Juan de la Peña at the behest of Peter IV of Aragon. It was the first gener ...

'', which was partially researched and composed there.

Gallery

SanJuandelaPeña.JPG Exterior del monasterio de San Juan de la Peña 03.jpg Claustro de San Juan de la Peña 10.jpg Claustro de San Juan de la Peña 11.jpg Capitals of the cloister of San Juan de la Peña 02.jpg Capilla de los santos Voto y Félix 01.jpg Capilla de San Victorián (Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña) 03.jpg Capilla de San Victorián (Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña) 04.jpg Interior de la Iglesia alta (Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña) 01.jpg Interior de la Iglesia alta (Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña) 02.jpg Interior de la Iglesia alta (Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña) 03.jpg Panteón de nobles (Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña) 01.jpg Panteón de nobles (Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña) 02.jpg Panteón de Reyes. Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña.jpg Museo del monasterio de San Juan de la Peña.jpg

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:San Juan de la Pena Buildings and structures in the Province of Huesca 920 establishments Religious buildings and structures completed in the 920s 10th-century establishments in Spain Monasteries in Aragon Christian monasteries established in the 10th century Burial sites of the House of Jiménez Burial sites of the House of Aragon