Monastery of San Paio de Antealtares
The Monastery of San Paio de Antealtares (Galician: Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares) is a monastery in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
Monastery of San Paio de Antealtares | |
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Facade of San Paio de Antealtares in Quintana Square. | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Monastery |
Location | |
Location | Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain |
Architecture | |
Style | Baroque, Neoclassical |
It was founded in the 11th century by Alfonso II of Asturias and conceived as a Benedictine monastery originally integrated by twelve monks. It was initially aimed to look after and render worship to the newly discovered tomb of the Apostle James, which brought a pilgrimage status to the city.
Once the Benedictine monks left the monastery in 1499, it was occupied by cloistered nuns and dedicated to Pelagius of Córdoba, a 10th century Galician child captured, tortured and dismembered by order of the Caliph Abd-ar-Rahman III of al-Andalus after his refusal to renounce of his Christian faith.
The present-day construction can almost entirely be traced back to the 17th and 18th centuries.