Lisa from Valencia
San Miguel de los Reyes Valencia
Fascinating monastery
This ancient monastery, once a feared prison, now holds a million books and countless secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Valencia's outskirts hide an impressive architectural gem: El Monasterio de San Miguel de los Reyes. This monastery is one of the finest examples of Valencian Renaissance architecture and boasts an intriguing history.
Germana de Foix, a royal femme fatale, married three times and had one final wish. She wanted to be buried beside her third husband, Fernando de Aragón, in their own convent. Fernando founded the Monastery of San Miguel specifically for her. Construction started in 1548 and took centuries.
A crypt beneath the monastery's church is believed to be the couple's burial site. Strangely, their bodies aren't in the two tombs present there.
Every St. Michael's Day, September 29th, at 10:00 exactly, sunlight pours onto the crypt floor. Legend says that Germana and Fernando are buried beneath it.
In the 19th century, the convent had various new uses: a homeless shelter, a mental hospital, a women's prison, and a public school. From 1939 to 1966, it served as a notorious prison for Franco's political opponents. The facility packed 4000 prisoners into 200 cells, each 2x2 metres.
Today, the monastery is home to the Valencian Library. Walking through the sober, vaulted corridors gives you a sense of where the monks used to live. Take the old stairs for a great patio view. You can visit the building on Saturday and Sunday. The monastery offers free guided tours every weekend at 12:00 and 13:00 without reservation.
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