Monastery of Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil

At this monastery, the Nine Holy Bishops were venerated, prelates who, around the 10th century, chose to retreat to the monastery as monks, likely fleeing the instability of the era. They were buried in the cloister, making the site a destination for pilgrimages and a center of devotion to their remains. In the 15th century, their tombs were dignified and moved from the Bishops’ Cloister, where they were originally located, to the interior of the church. In 2020, four of the rings belonging to those prelates were discovered. In the 13th century, the monastery underwent a period of decline that persisted, with varying intensity, until 1506, when it was incorporated into the Congregation of San Benito of Valladolid.

The oldest part of the monastery is the church, a structure with three naves and three apses, built in the late 12th century and subject to later modifications. The main façade, facing west, dates to the 18th century. A notable stone altarpiece with figures of saints, dated around 1200, is preserved, as well as altarpieces from more modern periods. The monastic buildings are arranged around three cloisters. The oldest is the Bishops’ Cloister, built in memory of the holy bishops originally buried there. It dates to the 13th century and retains remnants of the ancient Romanesque chapter house. The second cloister, known as the Knights’ or Grand Cloister, has three stories. The third is smaller than the others.