Monasterio de San Salvador de Lérez

This is a former Benedictine monastery with Baroque and Neoclassical features that dates from the late 9th century, although the exact date of construction is unknown. Like most abbeys, it was restored and enlarged several times, and now all that remains of the original building are the stairs, the courtyard and part of the cloister. In the mid-17th century it had to be enlarged to house the School of Art and Philosophy because it was required to have classrooms and bedrooms for all students. In the 19th century the monks were ordered to abandon the monastery due to the ecclesiastical confiscation laws, which in turn led to the theft of important items from the library and the archive, as well as liturgical objects, furniture, etc. The church was designed in the Neoclassical style with an 18th-century Baroque facade. It contains a statue of Saint Benedict, who is considered the most miraculous saint in the area. Every 11th of July the festivities of San Benitiño de Lérez are held in his honour, and many devout attend in the hope of curing their ills, especially those related to warts. Nothing remains of the old 10th-century church except for a Gothic inscription. It bears the names of the saints in whose honour the church was built.