Exterior photos ©Pamela Barrus; interior photos courtesy of Hospedería del Real Monasterio
Guadalupe is home to the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe—a pilgrimage site second only to that of Santiago de Compostela. Her story goes back to the Greek island of Patmos, where Saint Luke is said to have carved her. Saint Gregory was carrying this statue to Sevilla when a threatened skirmish caused the group of traveling priests to bury her in a field near Guadalupe. She remained hidden from the world for 600 years, until the shepherd Gil Cordero, in search of his lost cow, found her. Stories of the Virgin’s miracles spread throughout Spain, and victories over the Moorish armies were attributed to her.
A small chapel built on the site was replaced with a hermitage by King Alfonso XI. From the 15-18th centuries the Hieronymites were caretakers.
The monastery was also the site where Ferdinand and Isabella signed the documents authorizing Columbus’s first voyage to the New World, and the Virgin of Guadalupe became the patroness of Latin America.
For centuries, kings and princes from all parts of the world sent money and gifts to Guadalupe to honor the Virgin, so that the monastery became phenomenally wealthy and known for its great craftsmen. The Virgin’s vestments overflowed with jewels, while 120 gold and silver lamps burned.
The monastery was abandoned in the 19th century and looted by the French during the Peninsular War.
The Franciscans took over the monastery in the 20th century and maintain it to this day.
Pamela’s Perspective
Nearby is a lovely parador, but you can’t beat the Hospedería del Real Monasterio for authentic atmosphere and price.
Hotel Hospedería del Real Monasterio de Guadalupe
A 14th-century monastery-fortress
Contact
10140 Guadalupe (Cáceres)
Tel: ++34 927 36 70 00
Fax: ++34 927 36 71 77
Hotel website
Reserve with Booking.com
Fast facts
47 rooms
Single rooms: 55–62 euros
Double rooms: 75 euros
Rates include tax; breakfast extra
Open: all year except for mid- January to mid-February
Getting there
Guadalupe is in the eastern part of Extremadura along route C-401. Local buses connect the town to other cities in the area.
What to do
Nearby: the monastery with the famous statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe; paintings by Zurburán
The accommodations here are housed in a wing of the monastery where a Gothic cloister and an old school of medicine once existed.
Open to the public in 1972, this interesting and delightful hospice offers clean and comfortable rooms. All have modern bathrooms, while a few guest rooms have high vaulted ceilings and canopied beds. Guest rooms are air-conditioned—a blessing in this part of Spain in the summer.
A bar is situated in the cloisters and meals are served in a high-ceiling, wood-beamed dining room. Often meals are served in the cloister, and when the weather becomes too warm, a canopy is drawn across to keep things cool. You may order well-prepared meals from a set-menu or a la carte.
Something special
The monastery at Guadalupe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The monastery produces its own liqueur.