Monastery San Juan de la Pena, Spain

Among the Aragonese Pyrenees lies the spectacular seat of the monastery of San Juan de la Pena, the treasure of the medieval era. Its protected structures are excellent evidence of successful masterpieces from the various periods during which the monastery lived. The emphasis is on the Romanesque era - from XI to XIII century, using remarkable architectural forms, drawings and all kinds of sculptures.
The historic exquisite appearance of San Juan de la Peña competes with the new look of the monastery, given to it in the 17th century and including the churches of San Carpasio and Santa Maria near Santa Cruz de la Seros, all in Romanesque style. All these components, impressively attractive in themselves, have been perfected with the new and modern interpretive centers of the Kingdom of Aragon and the Monastery of San Juan de la Pena, representing architectural creations of the XXI century, living in perfect harmony monuments of San Juan de la Peña.
Much can be said and written, but nothing compares to the feeling one gets when visiting the convent of San Juan de la Pena. Its courtyard is a perfectly organized park with footpaths, a small bar and picnic tables. Great place to relax in the depths of this architectural marvel. But it becomes more interesting and intriguing when the time comes to see the frescoes, the gallery of magnificent capitals and sarcophagi of the Aragonese kings, the pantheon of nobles and the Romanesque church.
The old part of the monastery, built in 920, was declared a national monument on July 13, 1889, and the new monastery joined it in 1923. In the 11th century, the monastery became part of the Benedictine Order and was the first monastery in Spain to be used by Catholic pilgrims. The new part of the monastery of San Juan de la Peña, with its marble and cement medallions, recreating historical battles, was built in 1770 during the reign of Charles III of Spain. 
Legend has it that the Holy Grail was sent to the monastery to be preserved and prevented from being seized by the Muslim occupiers.