Veruela Monastery

Veruela is a walled Cistercian monastery at the foot of the Moncayo, in Vera de Moncayo, about 15 km from Tarazona. It was the order's first in Aragón and is managed today by the Zaragoza Provincial Council. You tour the church, the Gothic cloister with its chapter house and the monks' quarters. Here Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer wrote his "Cartas desde mi celda" (Letters from My Cell).

What You See

According to Aragón Tourism, work began around 1145. You are greeted by a one-kilometre wall that enclosed everything the monks needed: water, the mill and the orchard. Behind it, a tree-lined avenue leads to the door of the church, sober but with the proportions of a cathedral, which took about 250 years to finish.

From the church you pass into the Gothic cloister, with capitals of plant motifs and the lavabo shrine, where the monks washed before eating. Opening onto it are the chapter house, with tombs and a doorway of arches on slender columns, the refectory, the monks' room and the warming room. The Cistercians lived here until 1835; with the confiscation of church property the monastery was left empty and became a summer retreat. At the end of 1863 Bécquer arrived with his brother. The ticket also includes the Wine Museum and the Olive Oil Museum.

Hours and Admission

It opens all year Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays that are not public holidays. Aragón Tourism gives hours of 10:30 to 18:00, with guided tours Tuesday to Friday at 12:30 and 16:00, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at 11:30, 12:30 and 16:00. Admission is cheap, €1.80, free for under-11s, and includes a guided visit of about 50 minutes. For the guided tour you must book on 976 64 90 25 or at [email protected]. Hours change by season: confirm before going.

In 2026 the Provincial Council had planned works on the abbot's palace, on the facade, the interior staircase and the altarpiece, in the access area between the church and the Wine Museum. Ask when booking whether they affect the visit.

Getting There

By car from Tarazona towards Vera de Moncayo; the car park, in front of the wall, is free. Allow an hour and a half for the guided tour and a stroll round the enclosure. The Fundación Tarazona Monumental has a Bécquer brothers route that recalls their stay at Veruela in 1863-1864.