Stage 11a

Starting from the Basilica of Pontevedra, we follow the shore of the bay all the way to Combarro; from there, we take the original path uphill to Armenteira. Passing through forests that are partly reminiscent of a rainforest, we reach Armenteira after the climb. The Armenteira Monastery stands out prominently in the landscape; it is a former Cistercian monastery dating from 1149, built by the nobleman Don Ero. The monastery received endowments from Kings Alfonso VI and Ferdinand II. In 1515 or 1523, the monastery joined the Castilian Cistercian Congregation. The dissolution of monasteries under the Mendizábal government in 1837 brought about the monastery’s demise; it fell into disrepair until a Society of Friends of the Monastery was formed in 1963. In 1989, a community of Trappist nuns from Alloz in Navarre moved into the monastery; they are engaged in the production of liturgical vestments.