http://www.monasteriosanjuan.com/

Built on the ruins of the New Monastery, a surprising space has been designed using 21st century techniques to show the different aspects of San Juan de la Peña, from its inception until the departure of the last monks in the 19th century. Inside the building, an original design leads visitors over a glass floor, where they can see below their feet the layout of the original monastery, with bedrooms, a kitchen, an apothecary and a larder, decorated with life-sized figures of monks, furniture and utensils to give visitors an idea of the scale of the monastery.

The main aim of the Visitor’s Centre is to explain the historical and cultural significance throughout the centuries of both the monasteries of San Juan de la Peña and their political and religious influence, while at the same time describing the daily life of the monks that lived in these monasteries over the centuries. The Centre is located in the north wing of the New Monastery and is divided into two floors.

On the top floor, information panels placed around the room (some behind a wooden section) describe the early history of the monastery and refer to other related subjects, such as the Santiago Pilgrimage Route and local legends and myths. Next to these panels can be found a large, lateral display case with the best conserved arqueological artefacts. Below, and constantly visible through the glass floor, the remains of the building reflect the life of the monks in the monastery during the 17th century. These remains have been partially rebuilt to recreate the different rooms used by the friars of San Juan de la Peña.


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