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Monastery Library in Fitero

In 1140, the Cistercian order founded the monastery in Navarra de Fitero in Spain. During the early period, it comprised an abbey church, a chapter house, a dormitory and a refectory. Over the centuries, the complex was extended by an abbot’s palace, a library and other buildings. The two-storey cloisters with pointed-arch arcading and external buttressing form the architectural highlight of the ensemble. A pyramidal timber roof with a lantern light at the apex has now been raised over the restored and partly rebuilt kitchen, which today serves as an access space to the new exhibition areas and the cloisters. The semi-darkness of the refectory is used for the audiovisual presentation of medieval relics of monastic life. The grid of beams of the new timber ceiling sits precisely on the existing stone corbels. In the Baroque library, the architectural measures were confined to restoration work and the insertion of display cases for historical books, prints and clothing.

Monastery Library in Fitero
© José Manuel Cutillas

In 1140, the Cistercian order founded the monastery in Navarra de Fitero in Spain. During the early period, it comprised an abbey church, a chapter house, a dormitory and a refectory. Over the centuries, the complex was extended by an abbot’s palace, a library and other buildings. The two-storey cloisters with pointed-arch arcading and external buttressing form the architectural highlight of the ensemble. A pyramidal timber roof with a lantern light at the apex has now been raised over the restored and partly rebuilt kitchen, which today serves as an access space to the new exhibition areas and the cloisters. The semi-darkness of the refectory is used for the audiovisual presentation of medieval relics of monastic life. The grid of beams of the new timber ceiling sits precisely on the existing stone corbels. In the Baroque library, the architectural measures were confined to restoration work and the insertion of display cases for historical books, prints and clothing.

Architecture
Miguel Alonso de Val / Rufino Hernández Minguillón
Location
31593 Fitero (ES)

Gallery

Summary

Issue
10/2003 Refurbishment
Author
-
Source
DETAIL
Location
Spain, Fitero
Year of construction
-
Year of completion
-
Architecture
Miguel Alonso de Val / Rufino Hernández Minguillón

Participants & manufacturers

Building services engineering
Montajes Eléctricos Feler S.L.

Categories

Magazine
Refurbishment
Load bearing structure
Masonry

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