Santa Maria de Ovila
| Santa María de Óvila | |
|---|---|
The ruins of Santa María de Óvila in Spain, shown more than 75 years after the most striking architectural features were removed by agents of William Randolph Hearst
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Trillo, Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°42′03″N 2°33′26″W / 40.7008°N 2.5572°WCoordinates: 40°42′03″N 2°33′26″W / 40.7008°N 2.5572°W |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic Church |
| Country | Spain |
| Year consecrated | 1213 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Abbey |
| Status | Abandoned |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Monastery, Church |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Renaissance |
| Groundbreaking | 1181 |
| Completed | 1213 |
| Official name: Monasterio de Santa María Óvila | |
| Type | Monument |
| Designated | 4 June 1931 |
| Reference no. | (R.I.)-51-0000612-00000 |
Santa María de Óvila is a former Cistercian monastery built in Spain beginning in 1181 on the Tagus River near Trillo, Guadalajara, about 90 miles (140 km) northeast of Madrid. During prosperous times over the next four centuries, construction projects expanded and improved the small monastery. Its fortunes declined significantly in the 18th century, and in 1835 it was confiscated by the Spanish government and sold to private owners who used its buildings to shelter farm animals.
American publisher William Randolph Hearst bought parts of the monastery in 1931 with the intention of using its stones in the construction of a grand and fanciful castle at Wyntoon, California, but after some 10,000 stones were removed and shipped, they were abandoned in San Francisco for decades. These stones are now in various locations around California: the old church portal was erected at the University of San Francisco, and the chapter house was reassembled by Trappist monks at the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, California. Other stones are serving as simple decorative elements in Golden Gate Park's botanical garden. To support the chapter house project, a line of Belgian-style beers was produced by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company under the Ovila Abbey brand.
In Spain, the new government of the Second Republic declared the monastery a National Monument in June 1931, but not in time to prevent the mass removal of stones. Today, the remnant buildings and walls stand on private farmland.
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Wikipedia