The Monastery of St Toribius of Liébana, located in Cantabria, Spain, is a major center of Christian pilgrimage and one of the five Holy Places of Christianity, along with Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela, and Caravaca de la Cruz. Founded in the 6th century, the monastery is best known for housing the largest known relic of the Lignum Crucis, the largest surviving fragment of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This treasure, said to have been brought by Bishop Toribio of Astorga in the 5th century, has made the monastery an important devotional destination. Every Lebaniego jubilee year, when the feast of Santo Toribio falls on a Sunday, is celebrated with the opening of the Puerta del Perdón, which attracts thousands of pilgrims seeking the plenary indulgence granted by the Catholic Church.
The monastery is also famous for its cultural history, being the place where the monk Beatus of Liébana wrote his famous Commentaries on the Apocalypse in the 8th century, influencing European medieval art. In addition to its spiritual importance, the building is a remarkable example of Cistercian Gothic architecture, with a sober but majestic church that has been remodeled over the centuries. The chapel that houses the Lignum Crucis was designed in the Baroque style in 1705, and the monastery has a 17th-century cloister that today houses an exhibition on the works of Beato de Liébana.
- Address
Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, 39570 Camaleño, Cantabria - Web
https://www.santotoribiodeliebana.es/ - Visiting Hours
Everyday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p. m. - What to see
Lignum Crucis, Beato de Liebana exhibition
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