Description of the attraction
The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes is a monument of medieval Gothic architecture, located on a fairly large territory and in many respects has retained its original majestic appearance.
The Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes was founded in 1326 by the last, fourth wife of King Jaume II of Catalonia and Aragon, Elisenda de Moncade. The opening of the monastery took place on May 3, 1327 during a solemn mass. The monastery housed nuns of the Order of St. Clara, who only in 1983 moved to a neighboring monastery.
Queen Elisenda took a great interest in this monastery, which was under her patronage and enjoyed the privileges of the royal family. Elisende's niece, the future abbess, lived in one of the cells of the monastery. Nearby is the Chapel of San Miguel, which is a real work of art. Its walls, from floor to ceiling, are painted with frescoes by the artist Ferrer Bassa on the themes of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Passion of Christ, created by him in 1346. These paintings were commissioned by the queen's niece Elisenda. After the death of King Elisenda, she became the leader of the Order of Saint Clara, and spent the rest of her life in the monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes.
All premises on the territory of the monastery are perfectly preserved: cells, chapels, chapels, refectory. In the very center of the monastery there is a large courtyard of three levels, created in the form of numerous, large arches, where the cells of the nuns went out. In the niche of the monastery wall, the remains of Queen Elisende are buried. On both sides of the church there are statues of her, one of which depicts her in royal attire, and the other in monastic.
In 1931, the Convent of Santa Maria de Pedralbes was declared a National Historic Landmark.
