Ribeira Sacra Nature Trail

Monastery of Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil

Located in the village of Parada do Sil, and only a few metres from the River Sil, sits the Monastery in a natural environment of unparalleled beauty, dominated by a dense chestnut forest.

Although much has been said about its ancient origin, the first document that mentions this monastery dates back to the ninth century.

The pure Romanesque church, built in the late 12th century, is a single Latin cross nave with a transept. There are three apses in the east end. The main apse is an extension of the nave, and the two side apses form the arms of the transept.

It also has other Romanesque elements, such as the tower and a small portico attached to the façade that gives access to the cloister. Only the two northern Renaissance galleries of the cloister, built in the 16th century, still stand. These galleries are connected via semicircular arches on octagonal chamfered columns.

Monastery de Santo Estevo

The Romanesque monastery of Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil is one of the most important and famous buildings of the Ribeira Sacra. It not only has one of few Romanesque cloisters in Galicia, called "de los Obispos", but was also converted into a Parador in 2004.

The monastic church was built in late Romanesque style. It has three large naves with pointed arches that end in three apses. Interestingly, the two side apses are taller than the one in the centre.

Inside is a remarkable Romanesque pentagonal altarpiece carved in stone. In the centre is Christ flanked by the Apostles under arches.

Although the ground floor is Romanesque, the cloister has heavy buttresses topped with late Gothic pinnacles in order to support the weight of the upper floor. This disrupts the harmony and uniformity of the Romanesque arches. The austere semicircular arches are supported by pairs of columns with slender plain capitals decorated with plant motifs.