At the foot of the Leyre Mountains in Navarre, one finds this thousand-year-old monastery, which was once one of the most important of Reconquered Spain. There is mention of it in 848 and its history is strongly linked to the kingdom of Navarre. During the Arab occupation, from the 9th to the 10th Century, it became a refuge for the kings and the bishops of Pamplona.

It is a place full of magic, where time seems to have stopped. so much so, that according to the legend Saint Virila, the Abbot of the monastery in the 10th Century had serious doubts about eternal life in Heaven. One day he was captivated listening to the singing of a nightingale near a fountain and on returning to the monastery none of the monks recognized him, because a mere 300 years had passed.

It was rebuilt in 1022 after having been destroyed by Almanzor, the monastic church of San Salvador is the central point of the monastery, with its remarkable three semicircular apses of a similar height and a lineal formation, which is in a very interesting style. Inside, the choir and the crypt were built in a Romanesque style, using the rules of the Cluniac monks. This crypt is astonishing because of its powerful columns embedded in the floor, as well as its beautiful and simple capitals. Several Navarre kings were buried there.

Today visitors can stay in the hotel-inn situated next to the monastery. This accommodation has 30 rooms along with a lovely restaurant. However, if you would like to spend a few days sharing the monastery with the monks (only men are allowed in the monastery) you can book this in advance with the Padre Hospedero, who attends to all the mail and telephone calls of those interested.