Santo Domingo de Silos

The abbey of Silos has been a Benedictine house since the tenth century, and its two-storey Romanesque cloister of the eleventh and twelfth centuries is one of the most important in Spain: carved capitals of birds, beasts and interlace by more than one workshop, and eight corner reliefs of scenes from the life of Christ carved with a delicacy that has kept art historians arguing about their date for a century. A cypress in the centre, planted in the nineteenth century, was the subject of a well-known poem. The community sings the offices in Gregorian chant, and a recording released in 1994 sold several million copies worldwide, unexpectedly. Visitors can attend the sung offices, and a pharmacy museum holds old apothecary jars.

What you actually see

• The Romanesque cloister - two storeys of carved capitals and corner reliefs.
• The corner reliefs - eight scenes from the life of Christ in stone.
• The Gregorian chant - offices sung daily by the community.
• The old pharmacy - a monastic apothecary with its jars and equipment.

When to go

April to June and September to November; the offices are sung daily throughout the year, with vespers in the late afternoon the most attended. Winter here is cold and the village is small.

Honest expectations

Cloister visits are on a guided schedule at set times and photography is restricted. The church interior is largely neoclassical, having replaced the Romanesque building. Silos is remote with limited accommodation and eating.

Nearby

The Yecla gorge is a short drive; Burgos and its cathedral lie northwest.