The Royal Monastery Of Saint Mary Of Guadalupe, Spain Editorial Image

The Royal Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe or in Spanish the Real Monasterio de Santa María de Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic monastic establishment built during the 14th century located in Guadalupe, in the Spanish Extremadura. It is located at the foot of the eastern side of the Sierra de las Villuercas and was one of the most important and fine monasteries in the country for more than four centuries. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1993. Even after the monks from Guadalupe founded the famous monastery of Escorial, which was much closer to the royal capital, Madrid, Santa Maria de Guadalupe retained the royal patronage. In the 20th century, the monastery was revived by the Franciscan Order and Pope Pius XII declared the shrine a `Minor Papal Basilica` in 1955.