All the main buildings of the monastery (church, cloister, orchard, bakery, warehouses, workshops, etc.) are surrounded by a wall with eight crenellated towers. In the 16th century, the main entrance was revised by adding a door with a pediment featuring an image of
the Virgin Mary. In 1771 the door was enlarged with an additional pediment adorned with the vase of lilies, a
symbol of purity traditionally linked to Mary. The door opens onto a square in which the
clergy house is located on the left (originally an abbatial room, general goal and stewards offices). Opposite is the facade of the church with a large
rose window whose radii are small columns, and a pointed arch door combing smooth and sawtooth carved elements. The buildings that now make up the monastery itself were mainly constructed in the 16th century. The undercroft, the lay brothers' refectory and the church are the only elements dating from the end of 12th century, with some modifications in later centuries.
The church The foundation stone was laid by Alfonso VII of León and Castile on 20 March 1179. Some changes were made at the end of the 18th century. Construction of the building began at the east end of the church with a conventional semicircular
apse. The works progressed quickly, with the exception of the last four bays of the nave, which were completed in the 13th century. The nave was roofed over with simple vaulting and a wooden roof were built. That was replaced in 1632 by barrel vaulting. The central nave was changed again in the 18th century with the addition of cornices, capitals and a highly-decorated iron gate to isolate the enclosure from the part of the church intended for the laity. No changes were made to the exterior, which still stands as one of the most austere constructions of
Cistercian architecture, including large buttresses in a double wall. In plan, the church has three naves and a transept with five apsidal chapels having
pointed arches and vaults of simple cross-section. Of the five apses, the one in the centre is semicircular and the other four are rectangular, in common with a Cistercian model that was also followed in the
Monasterio de Santa María de Matallana (
Province of Valladolid).
Interior • The high altar is framed by a Baroque altarpiece by Félix Malo (from
Calatayud), dating from 1766. The altarpiece is flanked by two marble urns from
Calatorao, dating from the 17th century. These contain the remains of Bishop Ximénez de Rada and Abbot Martin of Hinojosa. At the side of the chapel are the tombs of the Dukes of Medinaceli, from 1632. On the walls of the presbytery large 18th century frescoes depict scenes from the
battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. • In the south arm of the transept, there are two large oil paintings of Alfonso VII and Alfonso VIII, also from the 18th century. There are also two Romanesque tombs of the Hinojosa family. The transept gives access to the octagonal chapel of Nuestra Señora del Destierro, built between 1747 and 1750, intended as a
reliquary. A Romanesque image of the Virgin is kept there. According to tradition, Jiménez de Rada had this picture in his saddle at the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. The image is a crude work, dating from the beginning of the 13th century. A copper crosier with cabochons is also kept here. This was found in the tomb of Abbot St. Martin of Hinojosa. The north transept leads to the tower, built in the 12th century, which had a spire added in the 17th century. From the tower it is possible to gain access to a chamber that was used in the 13th century as the chapter house, with an entrance from the cloister. In the 16th century it was transformed into a
sacristy. Further north is the "capilla de Profundis", which is reached from the cloister. The corpses of the monks were exposed and watched in this chapel until they were buried. Prior to that, it seems that this was a place of work or library. The high choir has walnut seating manufactured in the second half of the 16th century. == The refectory ==