Oseira Monastery, in Oseira, San Cristovo de Cea, Ourense, Galicia, Spain, on a typical rainy day.
Monks graveyard at Oseira Monastery. On each grave grows a boxwood hedge, cut into a cross. Boxwood is a symbol of eternal life.
One of the monks returning to the monastery, protecting himself from the rain with an umbrella. The monastery’s dog, called Benito, follows him.
Benito, the dog shelters himself from the rain under one of the entrances to the main building.
Alfonso walks under the arches of one of the three cloisters of the monastery to avoid the rain.
Alfonso is the host of the monastery Inn. The preparation of the rooms for the new guests is part of his daily work.
Alfonso feeding Benito.
Alfonso at the Solarium staring at the landscape after lunchtime. The Solarium is one of the few areas of the monastery that is for the exclusive use of the monks.
Soft light at the end of the day entering through the windows of the corridor that leads to the library. In the monastery, one is expected to remain silent when walking in the cloisters and corridors so as to not disturb the monks.
General view of the library containing more than 40,000 books of different genres.
Damián Yáñez is 97 years old and he is still the librarian of this wonderful library.
Luis, the painter, is very active. He serves the pilgrims, guides the visitors through the monastery and he also finds time to paint orthodox style icons, lives of saints, portraits of abbots and scenes of the Passion.
The Palm Tree room. The church was built between c.1200 and c.1239 AD. It is considered a landmark of Roman architecture in the Spanish peninsula. Its design was inspired by peregrination churches. The main chamber is known as the Palm Tree room and boasts a dome which is supported by four columns.
Alfonso wearing the typical chasuble in one of the corridors of the monastery. They wear the white chasuble each time they go to prayer and to celebrate the Eucharist.
The monks, in one of the churches of the monastery, celebrating the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper.
Luis reading a passage during the last prayer of the day before the Great Silence.
Monk playing the organ during the Gregorian chants.
Monks during the Salve, one of the last prayers of the day before the Great Silence.