El Convento de Mave

The origin of the monastery dates back to the second half of the 9th century, when King Alfonso III created the abbey over an earlier Visigothic monastery, according to Father Yepes in his Benedictine Chronicle. From 1011, Mave and its possessions belonged to the large monastery of San Salvador de Oña in Burgos, which adopted the Benedictine rule in 1033, with four monks remaining in charge of maintaining the celebration of masses. In 1192, Sancha Jiménez donated all her patrimony to Oña and when she became blessed, the abbot granted her the monastery of Santa María de Mave, which she restored. Between 1200 and 1208 the new Romanesque church was built. After the disentailment of the 19th century, the monastery fell into ruins until the Moral Rodríguez family bought it and completely restored it, converting it into a hotel.

The 1208 Romanesque church is of Burgundian type, similar to those of Neris and Montreal in France, of the Cantabrian-Palentine group typical of Aguilar de Campoo. Built in red ashlar masonry, it has a triple chevet with three semicircular stepped apses, three naves covered with barrel vaults over transverse arches and cruciform pillars. Over the transept rises a beautiful square dome with hemispherical dome, passing from square to octagonal space by means of trumpets. The doorway at the foot of the church has slightly pointed arches with archivolts decorated with baquetons and sawtooths on vegetal capitals of great quality. The 17th century cloister is neoclassical, robust and elegant. The restoration blends modern design with the original stone walls.

The monastery is in the Montaña Palentina, in the surroundings of Aguilar de Campoo. The area concentrates the jewels of the Palencia Romanesque: San Andrés de Arroyo, Santa María de Aguilar de Campoo, Santa Eufemia de Cozuelos, all from the same hand. The Natural Park of Fuentes Carrionas and Fuente Cobre offers mountain routes. The Ebro and Rudrón canyons are nearby. Aguilar de Campoo, the town of cookies, has a Romanesque collegiate church and a rich medieval heritage.