Monastery of Maria Assumption

The history of the Monastery
In 1243, Rodrigo Fernandez Valduerna (Count of Astorga), attracted by the faithful observance of Praemonstratensians and the great devotion that they had to the Virgin Mary, donated his Palace with all his many possessions to the Praemonstratensians. The Palace was situated in the village of Villoria de Orbigo. This happened at the time of the Abbot de Aguilar of Campoo (Palencia) and the Fathers lived there until 1511. When they left, seven Sisters from the Monastery of Toro arrived and started community life. From that date on, the Monastery was used by the Praemonstratensian Nuns.
There were times when the Monastery had many vocations and attracted many good and holy Sisters. For a long time the Monastery consisted of forty nuns and in the 18^th century there were more than sixty living there at the same time. Now they are only a small community of a few Sisters. In 1665 there was a deliberate fire in this Monastery that destroyed the complete Romanesque style of the building along with all the documents. The nuns took refuge in a Palace that they had in Astorga and there they lived until the restoration of buildings was completed.
The work of restoration started in 1700, and was finished with the building of the church in 1774.

In 1986 a part of the Monastery suffered another fire. Thanks to God they have been able to restore the necessary (main) part of the Monastery.

Just a few years ago they gave up Community life in the Monastery and moved as a little group of Sisters to a nursing home where they still keep in contact with their Sisters in Toro. The Monastery is now taken care of by the Order of the Norbertine Fathers.

The sisters' convent

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