Santa María De Mave: Monastery Church, Heritage and Routes

Santa María De Mave can be explored through two specific aspects: the monastery church, its architectural form and history, and the river landscape and routes along the Río Pisuerga. When planning your trip, you can combine a focus on cultural history with a look at the route stages and landscape.

Monastery Church and Heritage

The church of the Monastery of Santa María De Mave has a basilica-style floor plan with three naves and three semicircular apses. The three naves divide the building longitudinally, while the apses form its end. Remains of wall paintings have been preserved in the chancel; they were recovered during the most recent restoration. The floor plan can thus be linked to a specific detail in the chancel: the building’s spatial layout is set against preserved fragments of its painted decoration.

The Monastery of Santa María De Mave has been classified as a historic-artistic monument since 1931. The church of the former Benedictine monastery is also part of the artistic heritage of the Camino del Besaya – Calzada romana. The two designations apply at different levels: the monument classification applies to the monastery, while the heritage designation applies to the church along the route.

Location on the Río Pisuerga and Landscape Routes

Santa María De Mave lies close to the left bank of the Río Pisuerga, on a fertile terrace 870 metres above sea level. The riverbank, terrace and elevation give the town a clear connection to the landscape, distinct from the architectural details of the monastery church.

The Calzada de los Blendios offers another perspective on the landscape. This route crosses the Río Pisuerga at the entrance to the Cañón de la Horadada; it also offers views of the rock formations of Las Tuerces. The river crossing and views of the rocks distinguish it as a landscape feature from the stage information for the Camino del Besaya – Calzada romana.

Stages for Planning Your Trip

The Camino del Besaya – Calzada romana follows a specific sequence of stages. One stage, 30.380 kilometres long, runs from Aguilar de Campoo to Santa María De Mave; another runs from Santa María De Mave to Herrera del Pisuerga. The town is therefore the destination of one stage and the starting point of the next. Depending on your direction of travel, you can plan Santa María De Mave as either a stage destination or a starting point.

On the stage to Santa María De Mave, the town is reached after Mave. The route then continues for a little over half a kilometre through the broad floodplain of the Río Pisuerga before reaching Santa María De Mave. This describes both the connection to the stage and the sequence along the final section described.

Accommodation in the Monastery Complex

The other monastery buildings now serve as a rural inn in Santa María De Mave. The accommodation is therefore in the monastery’s other buildings, while the church is the architectural and cultural-historical focus. If you include this inn in your plans, check current availability in advance.

Discover more destinations: Canduela, Mave.

Return to the main travel overview: Aguilar De Campoo.