Church of Santa María a Real de O Cebreiro is a jewel of pre-Romanesque art and it dates from the IX century. Baptismal Font of the tenth century, the Crucified Christ in the High Altar, the statue of the Virgin Santa María, named A Real on the right lateral nave, are worth mentioning. The grave of D. Elías Valiña is in the chapel to the left of the presbytery. He was a parish priest in O Cebreiro between 1959 and 1989 and a scholar of the Way of Saint James. We also highlight the chalice, paten and the relics of the Eucharistic miracle are preserved in the chapel located to the left of the presbytery.
Baptistery: It is situated in a room adjacent to the rest of the church, on the left just beside the entrance. This is because it complies with the old canon of separation from the Temple.
Baptismal Font is of the tenth century. It is made of granite in one piece and it is of a large size. It was used for baptism by immersion that was common practice in the Church and declined in the twelfth century.
Christ of San Damián. It is a replica of an icon of the twelfth century. According to tradition this statue spoke to San Francisco de Asís (Saint Francis of Assisi) asking for the restoration of his church, it was threatened with collapse. Christ of San Damián was placed in this Sanctuary on October 19, 2013 in the VIII Centenary of Saint Francis pilgrimage to Santiago.
This is the central nave of the church. We can see the Crucified Christ in the High Altar in the background.
The Nativity was on the left lateral nave.
This is the right aisle. We can see the Capilla del Santo Milagro in the background. It is to the right of the High Altar. There is to the right a glass cabinet containing Bibles in a wide variety of languages.
This is the statue of the Virgin Santa María A Real de O Cebreiro. It is a Romanesque carving of the twelfth century. The Virgin leant her head to observe the Miracle. The statue was restored several times the latest being in 1971.
View of the right lateral nave.
This is the Capilla del Santo Milagro (Holy Miracle Chapel). It is located to the left of the presbytery and the chalice, paten and the relics of the Miracle of the Eucharist are preserved here. The Miracle of the Holy Grail of O Cebreiro took place at the beginning of the fourteenth century.
The legend has it that a winter day with heavy snow and cold a farmer from a hamlet called Barxamaior goes to O Cebreiro to attend mass as usual, in spite of bad weather. The priest who was celebrating mass thought to himself the farmer could have died just for coming here to kneel down before some bread and wine. At the moment of consecration the sacred host was transformed into flesh and wine into blood. Immediately the statue of the Virgin leant her head to worship the body and blood of Christ.
Since then the chalice, paten and the relics of the miracle are preserved in O Cebreiro. There is a silver sacrarium underneath the glass cabinet. It represents the urn in the Cathedral of Santiago where the remains of the Apostle rest. The priest and the farmer are buried beneath the two arches we can see to the right of the picture.
This is a silver sacrarium underneath the glass cabinet. It represents the urn in the Cathedral of Santiago where the remains of the Apostle rest. It was donated by the Catholic Monarchs when they went on a pilgrimage to Compostela in 1486 passing by O Cebreiro.
The chalice and the host are also depicted in the emblem of Galicia. Tradition has it that Queen Isabel wanted to take the relics from O Cebreiro. The royal retinue left to Castile and a few kilometers ahead the horses stopped and it was impossible to make them to continue. Fear overpowered the retinue and they freed the horses that returned to the doors of the church of Santa María de O Cebreiro. Seeing this the Queen Isabel ordered the relics remain in O Cebreiro.
The influence of the Catholic Monarchs in the history of this land is also reflected in the fact that they made the request to Pope Innocent VIII to restore the inn and hospital for pilgrims and both of them become dependent on Benedictine Order of Valladolid. Besides, the Sanctuary got various Papal Bulls and royal privileges. It belonged to the Benedictine monks until 1854. Now the Franciscans take care of the Sanctuary.
This is the glass cabinet in which the chalice,
paten and the relics of the miracle are preserved.
This is the Crucified Christ in the High Altar.
Saint Francis of Assisi was a pilgrim to Santiago passing by O Cebreiro in 1214. Now, the Franciscans take care of the church.
Right to the left the presbytery the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi and la Capilla de San Benito (Chapel of Saint Benedict).
This is la Capilla de San Benito. The grave of D. Elías Valiña is at the foot of the altar. He was a parish priest in O Cebreiro between 1959 and 1989 and a scholar of the Way of Saint James with wide variety of studies about it. He promoted restorations of the church, the hostel and the village and also devised and painted the yellow arrows along the Way to guide pilgrims.
This is Saint Benedict of Nursia, founder of the Benedictine Order. The Sanctuary was founded by Benedictine monks and they remained here from the ninth century to the middle of the nineteenth century.
And
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