Mosteiro de Bon Xesús de Trandeiras

The origins of the Monastery of Bon Xesús de Trandeiras are linked to apparitions of the Virgin Mary to local residents. It was founded in 1523 by the prior of the maximum Santa María a Real de Xunqueira de Ambía, Alonso de Piña. It was occupied by the Franciscan order from its foundation until its decline in 1835. Originally only a church was to be built, but the prior built an entire monastery.

Today, the church is the best preserved building, with a façade that stands out for its relief decoration in the Manueline style, a late Gothic imported by its builder Bartolomé de Rosendo, a Portuguese stonemason. In the centre there are curved arches with pointed peaks and vegetal figures intertwined with fantastic beings of human or animal appearance. Accompanying the front, there is a tower on the left bank with a belfry.

All that can be seen of the cloister is the quadrangular floor plan with the 28 arches that form it and which have the same decoration as the façade. The monks' annex building had a kitchen, outbuildings in the upper part and stables, barns and cellars in the lower part. It suffered a fire in 1668 but was gradually rebuilt and became a philosophy college in 1797. It played an important role in the reception of clergymen who fled from France because of the revolution.

The war with the French in the 19th century, another fire in 1813 and the disentailment of 1835 meant that the building was finally abandoned. It is currently in the process of being declared a BIC (Ben de Interés Cultural).

The church can be visited by appointment, but the cloister and the rest of the buildings can be visited freely.