THE HISTORIC GARDEN PARK OF MONASTERIO DE PIEDRA
Monasterio de Piedra was acquired in 1843 by Don Pablo Muntadas Campeny, at a public auction for 1,250,000 reales (the spanish coin at that time).
It was in the following years when Don Juan Federico Muntadas, son of Pablo, transformed the existing orchard into a landscaped garden and the monastic buildings into a hotel with hydrotherapy facilities. To these changes, he added the construction of a pioneer fish farm in Spain in 1867, of which you can still see some of its original fish pools when you visit the Park.
From then until today, Monasterio de Piedra has been a first-rate tourist destination. The acquisition of the property by the Muntadas family, the transformation of the Monastery into a Hotel and the new tourist uses that were given to the dependencies, halted its very probable degradation after Mendizábal’s Confiscation in 1835. Thanks to these historic facts, Monasterio de Piedra has been preserved as it is today.
A delight for the senses
The walk through the Historic Garden Park of the Monasterio de Piedra is full of surprises, with amazing corners of bursting beauty and breath taking landscapes. To the natural charm of the river, the bustle and freshness of its waterfalls must be added, as well as the peaceful stillness of its lakes, and the singing of the more than 20 different bird species that have been identified within the area.
Listed as National Picturesque Site on December 28, 1945, in 2010 the Government of Aragon changed this label to Group of Cultural Interest, in the category of Historic Garden. Also listed as National Monument on February 16, 1983, today it figures as Site of Cultural Interest, in the category of Monument. Monasterio de Piedra is currently one of the most amazing places in Europe, and for this reason among others, it was awarded with the Tourist Merit Medal by the Government of Aragon in 2011.
The Park, Historic Garden of the Monasterio de Piedra, offers a stunning walk through lush nature.
