Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: refectory

Alcobaça is home to the "Mosteiro de Alcobaça", one of the largest, most famous and oldest monasteries in Portugal. It was the seat of the Real Abadia de Alcobaça (Royal Abbey of Alcobaça), which from 1567 also presided over all Portuguese Cistercian monasteries. The complex dates back to 1153, when Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques, gave the Cistercian order the 500 km² area that would later become the monastery, which had been reclaimed from the Moors. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) one of the most influential clerics of his time, had helped him in his disputes with Alfonso VII. of Leao and Castile over Portugal's unilaterally declared independence and the self-coronation of Alfonso Henriques as King of Portugal in 1139, especially as Eugene III was the first Cistercian to sit on the papal throne from 1145 to 1153. However, the papal bull recognizing Portugal, now issued by Alexander III, was delayed until 1179. Construction of the monastery began in 1178 and was completed in 1240 with the first section (church and first cloister). As a result of the initial large influx of friars, particularly from Burgundy, the complex was constantly expanded, including the addition of three further cloisters and a church. The economic success caused a considerable influx, which is why the monastery facilities were constantly expanded. By the beginning of the 15th century, the monks developed a great deal of activity, cultivating the land and developing and expanding agriculture, fishing, extracting salt and iron, promoting crafts and educating the settlers. In 1269 they founded one of the first public schools in the West, and its relocation to Coimbra in 1290 gave rise to the University of Coimbra. The communities belonging to the monastery prospered so well that even in the Alcobaça Abbey, some affluent living began to displace the strict Cistercian rules, a development to which many monasteries succumbed. That's why Pope Benedict XII ordered. In 1335 a reform of the Cistercian orders was announced. King Afonso IV (1291–1357) took advantage of this to curtail the abbey's power. and placed a large number of the towns belonging to Alcobaça under his rule on the grounds that the deed of foundation of King Afonso Henriques did not include the towns. In view of their wealth and power, the monks distanced themselves from the strict teachings of their founders. In 1475, Abbot Nicolau Vieira secretly ceded his rights to the Archbishop of Lisbon in exchange for an annual pension of 150,000 réis. The monks only found out about this when a delegation from the archbishop took possession of his new rights. The monastery, whose general assembly had always elected its own abbots, thus came under the influence of the commandant abbots (appointed by the king). In 1531, Afonso de Portugal (1509-1540), the fourth son of King Manuel I (1469-1521) and brother of the later King João III (1502-1557), became Abbot of Alcobaça, who was also Bishop of Lisbon and a cardinal. After his death, King João III appointed his other brother Henrique (1512-1580) as Abbot, who was also Archbishop of Lisbon and Inquisitor General of Portugal and was later appointed Cardinal. As a result of the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, the southern part of the monastery in particular was damaged and the sacristy destroyed. The monastery's own college was completely destroyed and relocated to the rebuilt parts of the southern monastery complex. In two large processions to the Santuário de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, 10 km away, the monks gave thanks for being largely spared despite this damage. In 1774, Alcobaça was hit by a flood when the river Alcoa overflowed its banks. It once again damaged the southern monastery complex and also caused large areas of the monastery to sink into the muddy masses of the receding water. Finally, as part of the Napoleonic Wars on the Iberian Peninsula in 1810, French troops invaded Alcobaça and pillaged the monastery. At the end of the 19th century the historian, archaeologist and agronomist Manuel Vieira de Natividade published his work on the monastery of Alcobaça. It was not until 1901 that the president of the district submitted a request to the government to repair and clean the monastery façade. In 1907, parts of the monastery were placed under protection for the first time by government decree. From 1929, the state began to repair the church and the medieval monastery and restore them to their original condition. The monks' refectory

Tomar today is a modern city with a population of about 40.000. After the conquest of the area from the Moors by Portugal´s first king Afonso Henriques in 1147, the land was granted in 1159 as a fief to the Order of the Knights Templar, who erected the castle/monastery "Convento de Cristo" here, that later became the headquarters of the Order in Portugal. Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Order, granted priviliges to the evolving town already in 1162. After the Order of the Knights Templar was suppressed in 1314 King Dinis was able to transfer the possessions and personnel of the Order in Portugal to a newly created Order of Christ. In the 15th century Henry the Navigator was made the Governor of the Order. He was the central figure in the early days of the European maritime discoveries and maritime expansion, later known as the "Age of Discovery", and he may have used resources and knowledge of the Order to succeed in his enterprises in Africa and in the Atlantic. In 1492 the Jews were expelled from Spain. Many refugees settled in Tomar, what helped the town to develop. Jews lived here undisturbed for several decades until the Portuguese Inquisition got installed. Many could escape by migrating, but about 1000 were tortured and executed. Tomar was occupied by the French during the Napoleonic invasions and was liberated by Portuguese and English troops commanded by the Duke of Wellington. When Henry the Navigator was the Governor of the Order, much money was invested into the rebuilding of the "Convento de Cristo" in flamboyant Gothic / Manueline renaissance style. Here is a refectory, where the monks had their meals.

Kloster Eberbach was founded in 1136 by Bernard of Clairvaux as the first Cistercian monastery on the east bank of the Rhine. A small Benedictian monastery had been here before, but after the Cistercian "relaunch", the abbey really thrived, becoming one of the largest and economically most sucessful in Germany. During the 12th/13th century about 100 monks plus 200 lay brothers lived here. Already in 1211, Kloster Eberbach possessed more than 200 settlements, all quoted in the "Oculus Memoriae", an "inventory list". Despite some setbacks due to wars, the monastery continued very sucessfully upto the time of the French Revolution, when the decline started. Politics changed dramatically during the time of secularisation. In 1803 the abbey was dissolved, the remaining monks were forced to leave. The complex with all assets came into the ownership of the last Prince of Nassau-Usingen. From 1866 on, it was owned by Prussia, later Hesse. The buildings were used as a prison and as a lunatic asylum during that time. Meanwhile the management of the vast vineyards (~ 200 hectares) and wine production has continued in state hands. Great white wines are produced here! The buildings now are owned by a charitable foundation, aiming to maintain the important complex. In the old lay-brothers´ refectory (erected ~ 1200) now is a line up of old wine presses. Some of these date back to medieval times. With 300 hectares of vineyards (= 300.000m²) Kloster Eberbach was the largest producer in Europe in the old days. The abbey not oly had an own transport infrastructure, but as well entertained an office in Cologne to market the products. The biggest cask here had a volume of more than 72.000 liters (equivalent to more than 100.000 "modern" bottles). In 1525, during the German peasant-war, the abbey was in the hands of the rebels for a few days. Time enough to empty this cask by two thirds. kloster-eberbach.de/ If you want to see one of these wine presses at work, see this (German) video. www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/beitrag/video/1454272/Eberbach---...

The Abbey of St. Jean des Vignes was founded by Hughes Le Blanc for a community of Augustinian Canons in 1076. The Romanesque structures of the early years got replaced by buildings erected in Gothic style from the 13th century on. During the Hundred Year´s War, the abbey got heavily fortified. The town was looted and burned down by the troops of Charles VI of France (aka "Charles the Mad") in 1415. About a century later the town suffered severely, when it was under siege of the armees during the Wars of Religion. Prussian troops conquered Soisson in 1814. The Franco-Prussian War (1870/71) creating a lot of damage, shell fire in WWI destroyed again most of the Soissons. The towers of the Abbey were not hit at that time. The abbey church was already ruined earlier. After the French Revolution the nave of the church was used as a quarry. Most of the other buildings of the former convent got converted into barracks. An explosion inside the ammunition dump in 1815 destroyed most of the church but the Gothic facade and the refectory, seen here. A wonderful two aisled room, an architecture that was common in Cistercian abbeys. The refectory is 36m long and 10m wide.

The Abbey of St. Jean des Vignes was founded by Hughes Le Blanc for a community of Augustinian Canons in 1076. The Romanesque structures of the early years got replaced by buildings erected in Gothic style from the 13th century on. During the Hundred Year´s War, the abbey got heavily fortified. The town was looted and burned down by the troops of Charles VI of France (aka "Charles the Mad") in 1415. About a century later the town suffered severely, when it was under siege of the armees during the Wars of Religion. Prussian troops conquered Soisson in 1814. The Franco-Prussian War (1870/71) creating a lot of damage, shell fire in WWI destroyed again most of the Soissons. The towers of the Abbey were not hit at that time. The abbey church was already ruined earlier. After the French Revolution the nave of the church was used as a quarry. Most of the other buildings of the former convent got converted into barracks. An explosion inside the ammunition dump in 1815 destroyed most of the church but the Gothic facade (seen from west). Adjoining to the right is the undamaged refectory building to the right.