Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás

Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás tickets: which one to buy

The Royal Monastery of Santo Tomás stands at the south-eastern edge of Ávila, in Castile and León, Spain, a short walk outside the famous medieval walls, and a ticket is required, covering the church, the three cloisters, the royal rooms and the monastery's museums. It is a Dominican monastery that served as the summer residence of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, and it holds the tomb of their only son, Prince John.

Ávila is about an hour and a half from Madrid by train, and visitors usually combine the monastery with the city walls, which can be walked along, the cathedral, whose apse forms part of the walls, the Basilica of San Vicente, the Convent of Saint Teresa, built on the birthplace of the mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila, and the Cuatro Postes viewpoint across the river. The monastery is less visited than the sights inside the walls, so it is usually quiet. The walk from the old town takes about fifteen minutes, downhill. The monastery is active, with Dominican friars, and visiting pauses during services. Its museum of Oriental art, with objects brought by Dominican missionaries from Asia, is an unexpected addition.

Visiting Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás: what to see

The monastery was founded with money left by Hernán Núñez Arnalte, treasurer of the Catholic Monarchs, and it was built between 1482 and 1493 in the late Gothic style, with the support of Ferdinand and Isabella, who used part of it as a palace. The church has a single wide nave, and its high altar holds an altarpiece painted by Pedro Berruguete, showing the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the monastery's patron. In the transept stands the white marble tomb of Prince John, the heir of the Catholic Monarchs, who died in 1497 at the age of nineteen, carved by the Florentine sculptor Domenico Fancelli in the Renaissance style.

Tomás de Torquemada, the first Grand Inquisitor of Spain, was prior of the monastery, and his tomb is in the sacristy. The monastery has three cloisters: the Cloister of the Novitiate, the Cloister of Silence, with carved Gothic galleries, and the large Cloister of the Kings, which leads to the royal rooms used by the monarchs. The choir stalls, carved in Gothic style, include the seats of the King and Queen. The monastery also houses a museum of Oriental art, with pieces from China, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, and a natural history collection. In the nineteenth century the monastery also served as a university.

Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery is open daily, with a break at lunchtime, and hours are shorter in winter. Ávila is one of the highest provincial capitals in Spain, so winters are cold and summers pleasant, and spring and autumn are ideal. The feast of Saint Teresa in October and Holy Week bring processions to the city. The Medieval Market in September fills the old town. Allow about an hour and a half for the monastery, and walk back up to the city walls for the views.