Mosteiro da Madalena

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About Mosteiro da Madalena

The mosteiro da Madalena stands high in Sarria, at the end of the Rúa Maior, a few meters from the Camino. It was founded in the 13th century by Italian friars as a hospital for pilgrims heading to Santiago. The first monks followed the rule of Saint Augustine, and the monastery was the first Augustinian house in Galícia. It received support from the counts of Lemos and from bishops over the centuries.

In the 19th century, during the desamortização that stripped the Church of property, the building became a prison and a barracks. At the end of the 19th century, the Mercedarian friars took over the monastery and remain there to this day.

The church has a single nave with a wooden roof and side chapels, including the richly decorated main chapel from the 16th century. The cloister, north of the church, has two levels: the lower one, transitional from Romanesque to Gothic, and the upper one, more recent. From the original 13th-century building only fragments remain, such as the Romanesque door leading to the cloister. The façade, the tower and the entrance portico are Baroque, from the 18th century.

The friars stamp pilgrims' credentials, and part of the complex hosts those who pass along the Camino.