Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil

Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil is a former Benedictine monastery. The building ensemble, in which three cloisters have been preserved, is now used as a Parador hotel.

The first monastery probably already existed in Visigothic times. At the beginning of the 10th century, a hermit settled in the abandoned monastery and founded a new community with other hermits who had retreated to the Sil Valley. Galician King Ordoño II granted privileges and from 921 the monastery was rebuilt and dedicated to St Stephen. The coat of arms of the monastery, which depicts nine mitres, commemorates nine bishops who gave up their episcopal sees in the 10th and 11th centuries and retired to the monastery of Santo Estevo. They were buried in the monastery and, as they were venerated as saints, their graves soon attracted pilgrims.
As there were frequent disputes with the local landlords under the later commendatory abbots, Pope Julius II placed the monastery under the control of the Benedictine Congregation of Valladolid in 1506. This established a school of liberal arts and philosophy in Santo Estevo and brought the monastery a new period of prosperity.

Two more cloisters and new monastery buildings, a chapter house, a large kitchen and dining and dormitories were built. In the 17th century, 60 monks lived there.

After the disamortisation of 1835, the monastery buildings fell into disrepair and were not restored until the end of the 20th century.

A crucifix relief between the corbels under the roof