San Salvador de Ona Monastery in Ona near Burgos was founded in 1011 by Sancho  Garcia. It functioned as a Benedictine Abbey until 1836; later it was taken over by the jesuists. Since 1967 it has belonged to the provincial de Burgos. During the Middle Ages it was one of the richest abbeys in Spain home for more than 300 monks at a time. Due to its wealth it was continuously submitted to a vast variety of artistic reworking.  As seen from the outside, the monastery looks baroque. Inside, however, it shows itself of as a Gothic masterpiece. In a sanctuary in the chapel the tombs of the last counts of Castile were buried, while the tombs of Sancho Garcia and his wife, Dona RUrraca lies in the transept.

This year the abbey hosts an exhibition called Monachatus – “μοναχóς” (alone). The focus of the exhibition is the religious life in the Benedictine monastery in the Middle Ages, and is built around six themes – baptism, renunciation, prayer, work, gifts and grace as well as monasticism and monarchy. Unashamedly the point of the exhibition is to showcase the religious life in the past and present. However, this is achieved through a collection of more than a 120 pieces of magnificent religious Spanish Art from the Early Middle ages and onwards. Some of them are on permanent show at Ona; large museums and cultural institutions in Spain have lent others. All in all this makes the exhibition worth a detour; especially if one is interested in getting an overview of Spanish religious culture.

Monachatus
San Salvador de Oña Monastery
Plaza Ayuntamiento s/n, Oña, Burgos, Castile-Leon
22.05.2012 – 04.11.2012