Monastic Church of San Vicente de Cervera

Cueva de los Moros / Cervaria

(Cervera de Pisuerga, Palencia)

San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera

Within the municipality of Cervera de Pisuerga (Palencia) and to the southeast of the town centre, relatively close to the river after which it is named, the remarkable remains of a chapel are preserved. The chapel has the peculiarity of not being built in the traditional manner, but rather is entirely carved out of a rock that emerges from the ground. It is a monolithic building with several openings and interior spaces, although in the past it had other built elements or outbuildings attached to the rock.

San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera

It also has an adjacent necropolis, with anthropomorphic tombs dating from the 8th to 10th centuries, immediately after the recovery of the territory after the brief Saracen occupation that would have administered that territory. This type of construction is not uncommon and there are other examples in the vicinity, probably with ancient precedents of a hermitage character. There is no direct documentation available to provide knowledge of the religious establishment, only that there was a monastery in Cervaria in 818. On the other hand, the interior layout of the excavation makes it clear that it was used as a monastery, or monastic cell, with separate areas for the monks and the faithful. Its dedication is also well known, given that in the 19th century there was still a hermitage dedicated to San Vicente, an ancient dedication that even suggests some kind of previous occupation.

San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera
San Vicente de Cervera

Bibliography:
  • MARTÍN LÓPEZ, Sandra (2019). Eremitorios rupestres en la Montaña Palentina y alrededores. Centro de Estudios del Románico. Fundación Santa María la Real
  • ORTIZ DE LA TORRE, Lucrecia (2021). Arquitectura trogidítica. Eremistismo rupestre en España. E.T.S. Arquitectura (UPM)
  • SAINZ VIDAL, Esteban (2003). El eremitismo en el alto Ebro y alto Pisuerga. La iglesia monástica rupestre de San Vicente (Cervera de Pisuerga, Palencia). Cursos sobre el patrimonio histórico 7. Universidad de Cantabria

Location:
Vista aèria

The troglodytic church is located southeast of the town of Cervera de Pisuerga