As pilgrims, my wife and I stayed at the Royal Monastery of San Zoilo in Carrión de los Condes in April 2013.
From Carrión des Condes a bridge over the Rio Carrión leads directly to the monastery. It is located on the Way of St. James and is now a hotel.
The monastery was originally built in the 10th century, and from the 11th century onwards Benedictine monks worked here, first under the sovereignty of Cluny, then from the 16th century onwards of San Benito el Real de Valladolid. The Renaissance cloister was built during this period.
Since 1992, the monastery "Real Monasterio de San Zoilo" has housed a romantic hotel.
View inside the church: in the gilded altar we find reliefs with scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The figures represent the saints Jerónimo, Ambrosio, Gregorio and Augustine. Behind the altar there is the relic of Saint Zoilo.
In the nave on the right, this crucified Christ stands out for his long hair.
Full size image at Fotocommunity.de
The Renaissance cloister is the jewel of the monastery. Because of its Gothic and Mudejar components, this architectural style is also known as "plateresque" (Spanish estilo plateresco, derived from platero "silversmith").
The richly decorated ceiling of the cloister.
Besides the cloister there is a large courtyard. It is surrounded by the former monk cells.
Corridor to the cells (today comfortable hotel rooms with all comforts).
The room 111 where we stayed overnight.
Photos: Gerhard Eichinger
Carrión - Sahagun
