Convento de San Marcos (León)
The Convento de San Marcos in León , a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León , dates back to a pilgrim hospital from the 12th century. The building on the north-western edge of the city, on the banks of the Río Bernesga, is a protected architectural monument ( Bien de Interés Cultural ).
history
In the 12th century, the main house of the Order of Santiago , which was founded in 1152 to protect the pilgrims of St. James , was located on the site of the Convento . Soon the buildings were expanded to include a church and a pilgrim hospital. Most of today's buildings were built during the Siglo de Oro , in the 16th century. From July 1936 to the end of 1940, the building was a concentration camp of the Franco regime , in which numerous political opponents were murdered.
description
The current construction of the former Convento de San Marcos was started under the Catholic Monarchs as a monastery (Spanish Convento) according to plans by Pedro de Larrea . The Renaissance building has a facade over a hundred meters long, the eastern part of which was built between 1533 and 1541. The western, baroque part with portal and clock tower was created between 1708 and 1716. The two floors are richly decorated with plateresque decorations. Above the main portal, the apostle James is shown slaying the Moors.
On the eastern side is the cloister and the monastery church, which is consecrated to the evangelist Mark (Spanish: San Marcos) .
Todays use
A museum ( Museo de León ) is housed in the cloister, the chapter house and the sacristy , which mainly shows sacred art. In the former hostel for pilgrims and an annex from the 20th century is located since 1964 a Parador , a five-star - hotel with a restaurant .
literature
- Juan Elava Galán: Historical Paradoes. Spanish hotels in monasteries, palaces and castles. Könemann Verlag, Cologne 1999, ISBN 3-8290-2232-8 , pp. 22–31.
Web links
Coordinates: 42 ° 36 ′ 5.8 " N , 5 ° 34 ′ 55.2" W.