Monastery of San Martín de Castañeda

San Martín de Castañeda looks out over the lake from the northern slope. What remains of the monastery is the church, in granite and slate, and in its outbuildings an exhibition on the monastery, the ethnography of the region, Unamuno, a display of recovered sacred art and an information point of the Atlantic Romanesque Plan. It is the only church preserved intact of the Cistercian monasteries that existed in the province of Zamora, and the only one founded in the mountains.

A little history

According to Castilla y León Tourism, it was founded in the 10th century by the abbot Martino and a group of Mozarabic monks who came from San Cebrián de Mazote, in Valladolid, making use of the remains of an earlier Visigothic foundation. In the 12th century it joined Cluny and later passed to Cîteaux; the abbot Pedro Cristino, appointed in 1150, drove the great building works, and in the 12th and 13th centuries the monastery dominated the Sanabria valley. It is a Historic-Artistic Monument.

What to look at

On the west façade, a double arch and a proto-Gothic rose window; the main doorway is an addition of 1571. Look for the relief of Saint Martin dividing his cloak with a beggar and the inscription of the original foundation. Inside, the exhibition explains the history of the monastery, the traditional life of the region and Miguel de Unamuno's relationship with the place, and brings together recovered sacred-art pieces. Allow about 45 minutes for the church and the exhibition.

Opening hours and admission

Admission costs €1. The opening hours change a great deal with the time of year:

• 1 November to 30 December: Fridays from 16:00 to 20:00; Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00.
• 1 January to 8 February: closed.
• 9 to 28 February: Fridays from 15:30 to 19:30; Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:30 to 19:30.
• 1 March to 15 June and 18 September to 31 October: Friday afternoons and weekends.
• 16 June to 17 September: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00.

The two official sources do not fully agree on the winter hours, so confirm with the Galende tourist office, 980 62 14 08, especially on public holidays and long weekends.

How to combine it

San Martín is on the road that climbs to the Laguna de los Peces, and the lake and monks trail passes through the village. On the way out of the village, according to the Z3 route leaflet, is the Peces viewpoint, with a view over the lake. Bring a little cash for the entrance fee just in case.