Sijena Monastery

Sijena Monastery was also a royal pantheon, outstanding its founder’s grave and the one to King Peter II.

In the middle of the desert this massive and solemn monastery for nuns is erected, where Romanesque and gothic style are mixed. Thanks to important donors, it became one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Aragón.

It was declared of cultural interest (BIC) in 1923. The beauty in it is shown along a solid and massive building which keeps prints from different ages, including some by kings of Aragón who were buried here.

The meeting Hall keeps its lay-out, once decorated with the most beautiful frescos in late Romanesque style. The impressive Romanesque portico will captivate you, with the fourteen half point archivolts, which have become Monegros territory’s cultural heritage symbol.

Between 1983 and 1984 ‘Orden de San Juan’ illegally sold the Catalonian government a great amount of priceless artistic worth without the prior permission of the legitimate Authorities. After a long court trial to recover them back home, most pieces were given back and turned to Aragón in 2016 and 2017. Today, they are exhibited in the former monastery bedrooms and can be visited every Friday, Saturday and Sunday on guided tours offered by ‘Turismo de Aragón’.

The rest of the monastery can be visited as well, by contacting ‘Orden de Malta’: https://sijena.com.