Monastery Of Santa María La Real De Obona. Asturias, Spain. Stock Photo

The Obona monastery has confusing origins since the veracity of its founding document is doubted, which attributes its establishment to Adelgaster, son of King Silo, in the year 871. Other documents certify its existence in the 10th and 12th centuries. It was an important Benedictine male center. Alfonso IX, after visiting the monastery, granted it the privilege of mandatory passage for pilgrims to Santiago, which increased his economic and cultural control over the area. In their heyday, the monks of Obona applied innovative techniques in agriculture and livestock, and taught philosophy and theology classes.In the 12th century, the Obona monastery was an important Benedictine center, made up of the temple, the cloister, the conventual rooms and the guesthouse. It is currently very altered, with the church being the oldest construction.The church is a Romanesque temple from the 12th century that is preserved with few modifications. It presents a morphology that combines Benedictine architecture with Cistercian aesthetics, based on the lack of decoration and mural austerity. The basilica plan is divided into three naves with five sections, ending in a triple apse, preceded by a straight section, where the main chapel is much larger than the side chapels.