The Monastery of San Vicente el Real is on the outskirts of Segovia following the course of the river Eresma and it will close this summer after ten centuries of the presence of the Cistercian order in the city of Segovia.
Its last five resident nuns are all over 80 years old and some like Sister Vicenta or Sister Faustina has been there for more than 70 years, dedicated entirely to praying and working within its walls and leaving the monastery to move to Madrid where they will continue to fulfill their monastic life until the last moment, although they will undoubtedly long for the silence of this monastery.
As a curiosity, on the site of the Monastery, there was a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter around the year 140 a.c, which was destroyed by lightning and subsequent fire. Later, a church dedicated to Saint Vincent was built and it was a cenobite center of the order of Saint Benedict around 919 until it passed into the hands of the Cistercian order in 1156.
Since then it has suffered fires and has survived wars, looting, and epidemics until these last years of COVID. However, it is time, the lack of vocations and the expense of maintaining the historic building that has made the Cistercian order decide to close its walls, not without much nostalgia.
The future of this magnificent place hangs in the balance. Protected as an asset of cultural interest, they are aware that it may be of interest to be able to house another community in the near future.
As its last abbess affirms after almost a thousand years, Sister Presentation, true happiness lies in giving oneself to God and in loving our brothers.
The city of Segovia is one of the most spiritual cities in the center of the Iberian
Peninsula, founded in Roman times, inspired Santo Domingo to found the Dominican order, as well as San Juan de la Cruz, confessor of Saint Teresa of Avila.
It also offers the largest number of Romanesque churches per square meter in Spain, a church from the time of the Templars, a magnificent cathedral, the Alcázar of Segovia…
A medieval city like few others in Spain, a UNESCO heritage site, where you can rest and take some time
We organize visits from Madrid for both travelers and groups of pilgrims, to share many other stories about the spirituality of these places.

Josu Camacho