Monastery of Santa María de Xunqueira de Ambía
Collegiate church of Xunqueira de Ambía / Santa Maria de Juncaria / Guncaria
(Xunqueira de Ambía, Ourense)
Traditionally, it is believed that the monastery of Xunqueira de Ambía originated from a chapel dedicated to the veneration of an image of the Virgin Mary, which was miraculously found in a marshy area with a reedbed, or juncaria, from which the name Xunqueira derives. In the 7th century, around that hermitage, a monastery was established that followed the Rule of Saint Fructuosus.
Additionally, a late document mentions that in the year 977, the monastery was likely refounded by Gonzalo Froila and his wife, Ilduara, who were relatives of Saint Rudesind of Celanova (907-977). Initially, the monastery maintained a familial character until the Church promoted its transformation according to the new reformist trends. In 1150, the heirs with rights over the monastery ceded it to the canons of Santa María de Sar (Santiago de Compostela), with the intent of introducing a community of canons following the Rule of Saint Augustine.
With the arrival of this community, the construction of a new church was promoted, one of whose portals bears the inscription of the year 1164. To the numerous properties already owned by the monastery, the Bishop of Ourense added several parishes in 1230, which came under its jurisdiction. In the 16th century, a legal dispute confirmed royal patronage over the priory of Xunqueira. Under the leadership of Prior Alonso de Piña (1513–1544), significant improvements were made to the church, its furnishings, and the adjoining buildings. During this period, a village also developed around it.
Western portal
Western portal
In the 16th century, the institution experienced a period of notable prosperity as a collegiate church under the direction of commendatory priors. By the end of that century, it came under the influence of the bishops of Valladolid, and in 1602 the establishment was annexed to that diocese, despite opposition from the canons themselves. The bishops of Valladolid became lords of the collegiate church and its extensive properties. Following the confiscations of church property, the collegiate chapter was dissolved, and in 1853 the building was repurposed as a parish church.
From the collegiate church of Santa María de Xunqueira de Ambía, the church itself is preserved, which began to be built with the arrival of the Augustinian canons. Most of the construction dates to the second half of the 12th century and the early 13th century. Although it has undergone modifications over time, it still retains its basilica plan, with three naves of five bays and three apses. The cloister, dating to the first half of the 16th century, replaced the earlier Romanesque cloister. Next to the monastic complex stands the Prioral Palace, a structure with a Romanesque foundation that was significantly altered during the 16th century.
Portal occidental
North portal
North portal
Photo by José Antonio Gil Martínez, on Wikimedia
Cloister (16th century)
Photo by José Antonio Gil Martínez, on Wikimedia
- AMADO ROLÁN, Nieves; i altres (2008). La colegiata de Santa María la Real de Xunqueira de Ambía: la recuperación de su Pazo Prioral. Cuadernos de Estudios Gallegos, núm. 121
- AMADO ROLÁN, Nieves; i altres (2009). Las distintas transformaciones espaciales y funcionales del Pazo Prioral de la Colegiata de Santa María de Xunqueira de Ambía (Xunqueira de Ambía, Ourense). Aqvae Flaviae, núm. 41
- FREIRE CAMANIEL, José (1998). El monacato gallego en la alta edad media, vol. II. La Corunya: Fund. Pedro Barrié de la Maza
- PÉREZ GONZÁLEZ, José María; dir. (2015). Enciclopedia del románico en Galicia. Ourense. Aguilar de Campoo: Fundación Santa María la Real
- PÉREZ RODRÍGUEZ, Francisco Javier (2008). Mosteiros de Galicia na Idade Media. Ourense: Deputación Provincial de Ourense
- RIVAS QUINTAS, Eligio (2011). Anotacións a historia e arte en Xunqueira de Ambia. Porta da aira, núm. 13
- SÁ BRAVO, Hipólito de (1972). El monacato en Galicia. Vol. 2. La Corunya: Librigal
Xunqueira de Ambía is located near Allariz, to the south of the city of Ourense