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The Monastery of Santa Maria de Santes Creus, in Catalan Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Santes Creus, is a former Cistercian monastery in the municipality of Aiguamúrcia, Catalonia.
The abbey was erected in the 12th century, in today's municipality of Aiguamurcia, in the village of Santes Creus. However, it was in the thirteenth century when Pere III expressed his desire to be buried in the monastery and a royal crypt was built for himself and his son, King Jaume II that many of the local nobility established the custom to choose this place for burial. This led to the monastery to increase in splendor and greatness thanks to the numerous donations received.
Santes Creus along with Vallbona de les Monges and Poblet Monastery are known as the known as the Cistercian triangle, that helped consolidate power in Catalonia in the 12th century.
The monastery's origins date to 1158, when the Lords of Montagut and Albà donated the village of Santes Creus to the monks of Valldaura. The papal decree that was required to establish a monastery was made by Pope Alexander II, and construction of the monastery began in 1174. The complex was completed in 1225.
King Pere III chose to be buried in the Monastery of Santes Creus, and so did his son Jaume II (1276-1285) and his wife, Blanca of Anjou. Jaume II had a section of the abbey turned into royal rooms, the original Romanesque cloister rebuilt in the Gothic style of the 13th century, and a dome added to the church's crossing. The walls were built under King Pere IV. From the time of Pere IV, the royal favour was transferred to the Monastery of Poblet.
More information: Patrimoni-Generalitat de Catalunya
The monastic complex continued to expand during the 17th and 18th century, until, following the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal in 1835, the Cistercians left and building activities ceased. The monastery was declared a national monument in 1921.
The sepulchre of King Pere III was executed from 1291 to 1307 by Bartomeu de Girona, and looks richer than those of his son (and commissioner of the work), Jaume II, and of the latter's wife, Blanca of Naples. It consists of an urn surrounded by the images of saints, placed over a red porphyry Roman bath brought here by admiral Roger de Llúria.
The mausoleum of Jaume II and his wife Blanca was created by Bertran Riquer in 1313–1315. The tombs are in marble, with portraits of the two monarchs, wearing Cistercian attires, lying on the two slopes of the sepulchre's top.
The original cloister was a Romanesque structure, dating to the late 12th-early 13th century. All that remains of the first cloister is a hexagonal central shrine, containing the laundry.
By request of King Jaume II, the original cloister was largely demolished and replaced by a Gothic cloister designed by Reinard de Fonoll, whose work was continued by his disciple Guillem de Seguer. The style of tracery which fills the upper parts of each ogival opening in the cloister arcade varies from English Geometric to Catalan in design. The clustered columns have highly ornamented capitals with foliate, animal and human figures, as well as biblical scenes. Recesses in the walls house tombs of several Catalan noblemen, and show remains of paintings, one representing the Annunciation.
The cloister can be accessed from the monastery's external square through the Porta de l'Assumpta or Porta Reial, a Romanesque portal.
More information: Catalunya
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