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Culture
Monastery of Santa María de la Retuerta
The Monastery of Santa María de la Retuerta is situated on the banks of the Duero River, between the Valladolid towns of Sardón de Duero and Quintanilla de Onésimo.
The name of the river is derived from the Latin expression rivula torta, which translates as 'winding riverbank'. This refers to the undulating nature of the course of the River Duero as it passes through these lands.
This monastery was originally established by Sancho Ansúrez, a relative of Pedro Ansúrez, Count of Carrión, Liébana and Saldaña. Upon his return to Castile, he established a congregation of Mostense canons in Spain, as part of the candid and canonical Premonstratensian Order. The Norbertine Order was established at the beginning of the 12th century by Norbert of Xanten in the Prémontré Valley, from which it takes its name.
For this purpose, Sancho had the land at Fuentes Claras (Valladolid). However, shortly afterwards, in 1145, the foundation of the monastery was relocated to the site of Retuerta, in the municipality of Sardón de Duero, at the suggestion of Doña Mayor Pérez, daughter of Count Ansúrez.
The Monastery or Abbey of Santa María de Retuerta was the first Premonstratensian monastery built in Spain, and one of the 40 abbeys that came to exist on the peninsula. The order's headquarters was established in the Kingdom of Castile, where it gained the support of the noble houses.
In the 16th century, the Premonstratensian Order experienced a significant period of crisis and reform, initiated by King Philip II. This resulted in several of the congregation's assets being transferred to the Hieronymite Order. Despite this, however, monastic life in Santa María de Retuerta continued until the disentailment of Mendizábal in 1835, which resulted in the near-complete disappearance of the order in Spain.
Subsequently, both the monastery and the surrounding farms were sold to private individuals. The hotel is currently a luxury establishment and was designated a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931.
The building is of late Romanesque style and has a layout like that of Cistercian monasteries.
The church, constructed in the mid-12th century, features a single nave with a rectangular ground plan, a tripartite stepped chevet and transept.
The monastery is notable for its cloister, which is attached to the south wall of the church. It also boasts an impressive chapter house and a four-bay refectory. In the 16th century, a first floor was added in the Herrerian style.
It is worth noting that this abbey housed numerous religious images, including the High Altarpiece, crafted in 1578 by the sculptor Diego de Marquina and preserved in the Monastery of Santa Espina; the altarpieces of San Norberto and Santa Gertrudis, safeguarded in the Parish Church of Sardón de Duero; and a Crucifix created by Gregorio Fernández in 1610, which is also preserved in the church of Sardón.