Abadia del Sacromonte
The Abadía del Sacromonte is a monastery northeast of the Spanish city of Granada along the Camino del Sacromonte. After a period of decline in the mid-1970s, it was restored after the turn of the millennium.
history
At the end of the 16th century the relics of three saints were found in the catacombs called Santas Cuevas (Holy Tombs) in the mountain then called Valparaíso ; those of San Cecilio , Heychus of Cartela and of the Ctesiphon of Vergium, together with some plates in Arabic script describing the life of these saints (the lead books of the Sacromonte ). The place is often considered the scene of the martyrdom of San Cecilio. The lead plates were regarded as evidence of an early Arabic-speaking Christian missionary work in Spain; the place was renamed "Sacromonte" (Holy Mountain).
In 1633 a path was established that linked the city to the Sacromonte and the growing abbey; a small grave chapel of Jesus was also set up; a " holy mountain " was likely to be set up to strengthen the faith of the residents of the area. In 1682 the Vatican declared the writing plates to be forgeries.
The strong attraction of the place and the many people who made pilgrimages there is said to have led to the settlement of what is now the Sacromonte district.
Building complex
The building complex consists of the Santas Cuevas, the Abadía (Abbey) itself, the Colegio Viejo de San Dioniosio and the Colegio Nuevo. The Santas Cuevas are venerated as the scene of the martyrdom of San Cecilio. Right next to the entrance is an altar with two sculptures of the martyrs Víctor y Leoncio, brought here from Rome in 1843, and other works of art can be found in the corridors. In the "Capilla de Santiago" the patron saint of Spain Santiago is said to have held the first Christian mass in Spain; In addition, the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to him here (in general and in Saragossa it is believed that this happened in Saragossa). In the room called "Capilla de la Piedra" there is a large stone; according to local belief, women who kiss him will be married after a year.
The abbey , founded here in the early 17th century by Pedro de Castro Cabeza de Vaca y Quiñones, then Archbishop of Granada, was soon to achieve cultural and religious importance and contains numerous works of artistic value, including the sculpture Cristo del Consuelo by José Risueño ( 1695) as well as a Marienkirche. The seal of Solomon, or the Star of David, was chosen as the symbol of the abbey and was used as an architectural element throughout the complex; the seal of Solomon is said to have been used as a symbol of Christian wisdom.
In the main building of the abbey, one of the first private universities in Europe was also set up with papal permission; Law, theology and philosophy were taught. Around 1900 the place was converted into a high school, which closed in 1975. Today the abbey is inhabited by clerics and also serves as a parish church.
The Colegio Nuevo, executed in the French style, was built as an extension of the teaching facility.
In 2010, a new museum was opened in one of the wings of the building, exhibiting monographs, works of art by local artists from the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as some works by internationally known masters, such as Goya's portrait of Don Francisco de Saavedra, and important writings are preserved, including copies of the Nuremberg Chronicle , the Generalidades sobre la Medicina des Averroes and writings by John of the Cross .
meaning
The Abadía library contains more than 20,000 volumes in the fields of philosophy, religion, history, literature and law. In addition to works from classical antiquity, there are scriptures written in Arabic, including the "Libros plumbeos". Of course there are also various historical writings on the history of the city of Granada as well as the oldest map of the city, which was created around 1620.
Guided tours are offered to visit the Abadía.
Web links
- Abbey site
- Description of the history of the abbey
- Link to the page of the Association of Friends of the Abadía del Sacromonte
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cäcilius von Illiberis in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints.
- ↑ http://www.sacrimonti.net/User/index.php?PAGE=Sito_deu/db_scheda&nazi_id=11&comp_id=325 Entry in the documentation center of the "Sacri Monti"