A palace
Santo Tomás Monastery, ran by Dominican Monks, was the Royal Summer Residence for the Catholic Monarchs. They even, buried their beloved son here. Great important events happened inside its walls.
Cristopher Columbus asking for money for his journeys to the New World.
Torquemada and his Inquisition. Philosophical battles between different religious orders.
The royal court walking in these elegant galleries. The Rennaissance to the service of Monarchy and church.
Nowadays this jewel of harmony hosts lodgings for university students and travellers who are looking for a comfortable quiet place during their stay in Ávila.
Monks still run it, and the beautiful decoration of the prince's tomb reminds us of its past monarchic splendor. But young people with their Mp3s and mobiles walk its corridors and yards.
3 comments:
Do you mean this place actually had something to do with the Inquisiton? Can you tell us more?
I'm glad I knew nothing like that as I was there: it was scary enough to hear the owl in the dark garden. I'll tell Mioara to read this, I think she remembers, too.
But it's a beautiful place, we were impressed.
In fact, the firs Church and Monastery was built by Torquemada, the main Inquisitor in Spain.
The Catholic queen, Isabel de Castilla, remember we visited hte palace where she was born in Madrigal de las altas torres, had asked the pope to be allowed to start Inquisition Trials in Castilla y León. She was granted permission.
The main reason for these trials were Jews. I mean, the queen felt obliged by the church and nobility to expel Jews from Spain if they didn't become Catholic.
Torquemada, a dominican monk used the inquisition to unify spain into one religion.He always served the economical interests of the Catholic Monarchs and he spent a lot of money building this monastery that was used as Summer Residence by the Catholic Monarchs.
Thank you for the details. I wish I knew all this during the last visit in Avila. I would have taken more time to visit this place.
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