Although much of the archive of the Monastery of Santa María de Monfero is preserved, its historical trajectory still presents some uncertainties. Sa Bravo mentions a hermitage and, later, a Benedictine monastery of which records exist from the year 934, but which would later have been abandoned. In that location, a hermitage dedicated to San Marcos was erected, for which references date back to around 1112.
Later, Alfonso Bermúdez and Pedro Osorio worked to establish the new Monfero Monastery in that hermitage, a foundation that was officially recognized in 1135 by Alfonso VII. To begin monastic life, monks arrived from the Monastery of Santa Marina de Corullón (León), among whom Munio, the first abbot of this house, stood out. In 1136, the founders Bermúdez and Osorio joined the community as monks. From its beginnings, Monfero enjoyed the support of the Traba family, who made several donations to the monastery. Different monarchs also contributed, such as Ferdinand II of León, Ferdinand III of Castile, and Alfonso X, among others.
In 1147, Monfero joined the Cistercian Order, becoming dependent on the Sobrado Monastery, although official Cistercian chronicles mention the date 1201. In the 15th century, after adopting the commendatory regime, which is said to have negatively impacted its economic situation, the monastery fell into decline. Later, reforms were carried out, and in 1506 it was integrated into the Congregation of Castile. This facilitated the reconstruction of the monastic buildings, a project that began in 1620 with the demolition of the original Romanesque church and continued until the 18th century. The new church was inaugurated in 1655.
By the 19th century, in addition to suffering from the general political situation, in 1803 a lightning strike damaged the structure of the church. The monastery also suffered indirectly from the effects of the Peninsular War. At that time, the renovation of the Renaissance guesthouse cloister (16th–17th centuries) was underway, but the new one remained unfinished. Later, the monastery was temporarily exclaustrated during the Liberal Triennium, which severely affected the site. Finally, in 1835, it was permanently suppressed and exclaustrated, although in the same 19th century there was an attempt to restore it under the same Cistercian Order.
Of the monastic complex, the 17th-century church remains, although in the mid-20th century there was an attempt to relocate its façade to another site, a project that, fortunately, did not succeed. By 1879, much of the church had fallen into ruins, and the rest of the buildings were in a lamentable state. During the second half of the 20th century, some consolidation works were undertaken. Nevertheless, the monastery’s situation has not improved, and restoration and recovery projects aimed at dedicating it to other activities have failed to advance.
Filiation of Monfero
According to Originum Cisterciensium (L. Janauschek, 1877)
Photo by José Antonio Gil Martínez, on Wikimedia
Photo by Oilisab, on Wikimedia
Tomb of Nuño Freire de Andrade (15th century)
Photo by Oilisab, on Wikimedia
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Monfero is located in a remote area, east of the Betanzos estuary