Monastery of Santa Maria de las Cuevas

Facade at night.

The Monastery of Santa María de las Cuevas, also known as the Monastery of the Cartuja (Charterhouse), is a religious building on the island of La Cartuja in Seville, southern Spain.

History

Legend holds that the area, in Moorish times, was honeycombed with caves made by potters for ovens and to obtain clay, and that after the capture of the city by Christians in the thirteenth century, an image of the virgin was revealed inside one of the caves, where supposedly it had been hidden. It prompted the construction of a chapel of Santa María de las Cuevas to house the venerated icon. In the 15th century, the archbishop of Seville, aided by the noble family of Medina, helped found a Franciscan monastery at the site. Later constructions were patronized by don Perafán de Ribera (who built the Casa de Pilatos).

In the 15th century, monks of the cloistered order of Saint Bruno were housed in the monastery. During the Napoleonic invasion, the monastery was sacked and used as barracks. After returning in 1812, the monastery was finally vacated with the general closure of monasteries in 1835-36 (Desamortización de Mendizábal).

Ceramic tile factory

Monastery of Santa María de las Cuevas (Chimneys)

The Liverpool merchant Carlos Pickman bought the abandoned monastery in 1840, and converted it into a factory of ceramic tiles (lozas) and porcelain china. This led to the installation of multiple ovens on the facility. The site continued to produce tiles until 1982.

National Monument and museum

In 1964, it was declared a national monument, and now is owned by the government of Andalusia. Restorations were made for the Seville Expo '92. In 1997, it became the site of a museum of contemporary and ceramic art.

External links

• Website