Claustra

Authorship

Karen Stöber

Name

Sant Hilari de Lleida

Chronological data

c.1200

Orderse

Cistercenques
De 1200 a 1550

Related Communities

Santa María de Vallbona de les Monges
Santa Maria de Vallsanta
Santa Maria del Pedregal

History of the Community

The site ‘Sant Hilari’ is known from as early as the reconquest of Lleida, or shortly afterwards (c.1152); the church is first mentioned in 1168. Countess Elvira de Subirats, wife of Ermengol VIII of Urgell, is chiefly credited with its foundation. Supported by the bishop of Lleida, Elvira de Subirats gave the church of Sant Hilari to the nunnery of Vallbona de les Monges with the aim of establishing there a new monastery, which was to retain its dedication to Sant Hilari. According to some sources there was some royal involment, too: King Alfons II (d.1196) allegedly asked the abbess of Vallbona de les Monges to send a group of nuns from that abbey to form the new community, and to provide lands for the nuns outside the city walls. Elvira de Subirats and, later, her daughter, were buried at the church. Pope Honorius III confirmed the new foundation in a bull dated 1220.

During its later history the Cistercian nuns of Sant Hilari de Lleida lived through troubled times. The nunnery was burned in the civil war of 1464 and the nuns had to seek refuge in the city of Lleida. Later, in 1604, the abbey merged with the Cistercian nunneries of Vallsanta (Urgell) and Pedregal (Urgell). The site was largely destroyed during the Guerra dels Segadors; the community of nuns moved once more to the comparative security of the city of Lleida, where they remained until the final dissolution of the nunnery in 1717.

Prominent figures

Elvira de Subirats, wife of Ermengol VIII of Urgell.

Building architecture

Nothing now remains of the former Cistercian nunnery of Sant Hilari in Lleida.

Bibliography and links

Bibliography

Piquer i Jover, J.J., 1966. "Monestirs cistercencs femenins de la Corona d' Aragó al segle XIX", Studia monastica, V(8): 71-132.

Lladonosa, J. 1972. Història de Lleida, Tàrrega: Camps Calmet. 

Sainz de Baranda, P., 1850. De la Santa Iglesia de Lérida en su estado moderno, Madrid: Imprenta de la Real Academia de la Historia. 

Lladonosa, J. 1972. Història de Lleida, Tàrrega: Camps Calmet. 

Piquer i Jover, J.J., 1966. "Monestirs cistercencs femenins de la Corona d' Aragó al segle XIX", Studia monastica, V(8): 71-132.

Sainz de Baranda, P., 1850. De la Santa Iglesia de Lérida en su estado moderno, Madrid: Imprenta de la Real Academia de la Historia. 

Key words

Elvira de Subirats; Ermengol VIII d’Urgell; Alfons II; Honori III

Geographic descriptor

Catalunya

Notes