First published: 12/02/15.

Klaus Freisinger 3.0

Santa Maria De Guadalupe

Santa Maria de Guadalupe (Inscribed)

Santa Maria de Guadalupe by Els Slots

The Iberian peninsula is full of historic monasteries, with a large number of them inscribed on the WH list, and the one in the small village of Guadalupe in Extremadura is probably the most famous of them. It is quite a big and impressive building, a mixture of Gothic and Baroque styles, featuring many important relics and works of religious art, the most famous of them being the Black Madonna (anyone who has already been to Montserrat or Czestochowa is familiar with this). I can't say I was blown away by what I saw, but granted, the place seems to be perpetually crowded with large, mostly Spanish, tour groups, you can only visit as part of a group, and it is hard to actually see much on your own because of this. The cloister was very nice, though, and there are some interesting historic facts about the monastery, as it was the most important one in Span for many centuries and always under the personal protection of the reigning monarch - e.g. after his return from his first voyage, Columbus made a pilgrimage there, and the Madonna of Guadalupe is much revered in the New World, especially in the famous basilica in Mexico. So, an interesting visit if you don't mind crowds, but because of the very remote location only recommended for those with a strong interest in history and/or religious art.

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