Monastery of Ferreira de Pantón, Romanesque with Cistercian Nuns

In Ferreira de Pantón, a stone's throw from Monforte, a monastery of Cistercian nuns is still inhabited, founded as Benedictine and passed to the Cistercians at the end of the 12th century. The nuns are still there, with a life devoted to prayer and work. The Romanesque church can be visited every day morning and afternoon, and on the way out you can buy the sweets the nuns make in their workshop.

What you see

The church is from the 12th century, with a single nave and a semicircular apse, and the best is in the stone: sculpted capitals and corbels, well worth looking at closely. Inside there is a 16th-century wooden coffered ceiling with Mudéjar influence and a 17th-century wooden crucifix. In 1975 a Romanesque carving of the Virgin and Child turned up, walled up in a window in the north wall. The cloister is Renaissance, from the 16th century, and holds the tomb of Countess Fronilde Fernández. The 18th-century Baroque buildings preserve the cells called das donas, with eight original fireplaces.

Opening hours and sweets

The Concello de Pantón publishes the visiting hours: every day from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 18:30. It publishes no price or guided tours; if you go as a group, call the council beforehand (982 456 005). The nuns make almendrados (almond biscuits), tejas, alegrías, coquiños, golosas and almond tarts from traditional recipes, and sell them only in the monastery's own shop. They also have a small guesthouse and offer monastic retreat days; they are requested on its website.

How it fits into the day

Ferreira de Pantón lies between Monforte and the Miño, so it is a good gateway to that side of the Ribeira Sacra. It is a half-hour stop before going down to Belesar for the boat on the Miño or to the Vía Romana winery. In the same municipality there are other Romanesque churches declared monuments, such as San Miguel de Eiré, Santo Estevo de Atán, with 15th- and 16th-century wall paintings, and San Fiz de Cangas; the council does not publish hours for them, so ask there before going. For the art of Monforte, the Antigua college is a few minutes away.