Buenafuente del Sistal Monastery

Buenafuente del Sistal Monastery

The monastery of Santa María de Buenafuente del Sistal or of the Mother of God is located in the heart of the Alto Tajo region. and corresponds to a former Cistercian monastery, located in the municipality of the Olmeda de Cobeta. The architecture of this late 13th century building is very sober. Its origins date back to the time when King Alfonso VIII wanted to repopulate these lands and protect them, after the reconquest of the lands of Molina and Sigüenza.

The congregation of cloistered nuns of the Common Observance has been here without interruption since 1246. It was precisely the arrival of the nuns that led to work being carried out on the old Romanesque church to adapt it to Cistercian architecture, and the monastery has maintained its structure ever since, except for a few minor alterations in the 16th and 17th centuries. Thus, the church has a single nave oriented east-west and covered with a barrel vault.

In 1971, the impulse of the chaplain, Ángel Moreno, led to a renovation that brought the building back from its ruinous state and brought the monastery out of its lethargy, also thanks to the Buenafuente del Sistal Foundation, created in 1980. Restoration work was undertaken in 1973 and 1995. A series of houses for spirituality and recollection and for helping the needy have been built around the monastery. Due to its uniqueness, it was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931.

The guitarist, Narciso YepesHe played an active part in the early years of the Foundation, giving selfless concerts that made the Monastery famous. He also spent long periods of rest and convalescence from his illness. Once he died in Murcia, his ashes were sent to the monastery and scattered in the cloistered orchard, in accordance with the wishes of the brilliant musician and concert pianist. For this reason he has a simple monument here.