World Heritage Identification Number: 665
World Heritage since: 1993
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Religious Sites & Sacred Architecture
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇪🇸 Spain
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe: A Testament to History and Architecture
The Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, nestled at the foot of the Sierra de las Villuercas in Extremadura, Spain, stands as a testament to the rich tapestry of history and architectural prowess that has shaped the Iberian Peninsula. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, this monumental structure offers a unique glimpse into the cultural, religious, and political milestones that have marked Western civilization.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The monastery is an outstanding repository of four centuries of Spanish religious architecture. It symbolizes two significant events in world history that occurred in 1492: the Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula by the Catholic Kings and Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas. Its famous statue of the Virgin became a powerful symbol of the Christianization of much of the New World.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iv): The Monastery of Guadalupe is of exceptional interest as an ensemble of religious architecture spanning some six centuries.
Criterion (vi): The Monastery symbolises two significant events in world history that occurred in the same year, 1492, namely the final expulsion of the Muslim power from the Iberian Peninsula and the discovery of the American continent by Christopher Columbus. Its influence on the evangelisation of the Americas was substantial; the statue of Santa María de Guadalupe became a powerful symbol of the Christianisation of much of the New World. The Monastery was, and remains, a centre of pilgrimage for the Western world and Latin America.
Encyclopedia Record: Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe
The Royal Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic monastic establishment built during the 14th century located in Guadalupe, in Extremadura, Spain. It is located at the foot of the eastern side of the Sierra de las Villuercas and was one of the finest and most important monasteries in the country for more than four centuries. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1993.Additional Site Details
Area: 1.1 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 39.45285 , -5.3275
Image
Jörn Wendland, Public domain
