Monastery of San Juan de la Peña

In the counts' era, the primitive hermitage evolved into a monastic centre under the patronage of Saints Julian and Basilissa. During the first half of the 10th century, a small church with two naves was built, dug into the rock that sheltered it. There was practically no news of this place until the time of Sancho III the Great (who ruled between 1004 and 1035), when a new impetus was given to monastic life, which in 1028 adopted the Benedictine rule. The centre was endowed with revenues for its subsistence and a long series of small monastic establishments in the surrounding area came to depend on it. In 1071, the monastery was ruled directly from Rome, then under Alexander II's papacy, which confirmed its possessions, while at the same time pitting it against the bishopric of Jaca.

A series of events led to the beginning of the decline of this house. First, disagreements with the authorities, and then the relaxation of customs in the monastery itself, including the sale of possessions and the abandonment of the monastery by some of the members of the community. The situation was aggravated by the high level of indebtedness and due to fortuitous events, a fire broke out in 1375. This type of incident was repeated in 1494 and again in 1675. To all these circumstances must be added the very nature of the building itself, in an unsuitable location, under a poorly oriented rock and with humidity, which meant that it had to be continually repaired.

The ground floor of the old monastery includes the Council Hall and the primitive pre-Romanesque church, which conserves the remains of mural decoration with scenes from the life of Saints Cosmas and Damian. On the upper floor, there is a courtyard, next to the Pantheon of Nobles, surrounded by smaller rooms. At the back is the church with a single nave and three apses. The cloister is located on the other side, surrounded by several chapels. The Royal Pantheon, from the Neoclassical period, is also preserved. A little further up is the new monastery, a grandiose building, now restored and refurbished. Part of it is used as a hotel.