Románico Zamora

Monastery of Santa Maria de Moreruela

12th century

Originally the church was a large building 63 meters long by 26 wide between the ends of the transept. It had a Latin-cross plan with a nave and 2 aisles of 9 sections. The nave was wider than the sides. A large transept and head part formed from a chancel and semicircular main chapel that was surrounded by ambulatory of one nave that opens to 7 radial chapels which have ultrasemicircular plan. On the eastern walls were added two small apses which protrude quite a lot from the nave.

Outside can be seen that the head part consists of 3 sections. The first consisting of 7 small apses with simple and very-splayed semicircular openings. The second corresponds to the ambulatory around the central apse. Can be seen windows with archivolts that rest on columns and scotia corbels. The third level consists of the chapel and its windows. The cornice has small arches on consoles as friezes.

Its southern façade has been preserved almost entirely. The western gable and the northern façade have been preserved only half way up. Worthy of special mention is a splayed rose-window with an inner ring located in the northern side of the transept.

Inside its head part can be highlighted. There are traces of polychrome, including plant and heraldic motifs.

The transept sides are covered with pointed vaults. The southern wing has a central door with triple archivolt on plant-motifs capitals. The northern wing preserves the semicircular large opening. Near the crossing angle is another doorway, the monks’ doorway. It was a semicircular doorway with a scotia in the exterior frieze.

ADDRESS

To view the entire route from your position to the monument, you can click on the Google icon located on the lower left corner of the map.

OPENING HOURS AND VISITS

July and August:
- From Wednesday to Sunday: from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00.
- Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

The rest of the year:
- From Wednesday to Sunday: from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00.
- Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

GENERAL INTEREST SERVICES

Tourist office:

- Benavente: Located at 1, Mayor bajo Square. Tel. +34 980 63 42 11

Civil Guard (police with responsibilities outside towns):

- Benavente: Tel. +34 980 631 322

- Camarzana de Tera: Tel. +34 980 649 008 

- Castroverde de Campos: Tel. +34 980 588 110

- Tábara: Tel. +34 980 590 020 

- Villalpando: Tel. +34 980 660 019

- Manganeses de la Lampreana: Tel. +34 980 501 020

Emergency telephone numbers: 112

- Camarzana de Tera medical center: Tel. +34 980 64 90 38  

- Tábara medical center: Tel. +34 980 59 02 18  

- Villalpando medical center: Tel. +34 980 66 04 77 

- Benavente sur medical center: Tel. +34 980 63 03 29

- Benavente Norte medical center: Tel. +34 980 63 53 61

Bus station: 

Benavente: Tel. +34 980 632 711 

Train station: 

Benavente: Tel. +34 905 551 844

Taxis:

- Benavente: Tels. +34 980 637 171 / +34 980 649 059 / +34 696 669 470 / +34 609 204 373

Civil defence:

- Benavente: Tel. +34 980 637 475