MILENARIO DEL MONASTERIO DE OÑA

With this stamp and souvenir sheet Correos commemorates the millennium of the founding of the Monastery of San Salvador de Oña. The souvenir sheet and stamp are illustrated with an overview of the church and monastery of San Salvador and a detail of a sculpture made of stone.

Castilian count Sancho García founded the monastery of San Salvador de Oña in 1011. He was the grandson of Fernán González, and built the monastery for his daughter Trigidia’s retreat. His son-in-law, Sancho III of Navarre entrusted it to the Benedictines who run the monastery until the confiscation of Mendizábal. In 1880 it was taken over by the Society of Jesus until 1967 when it was purchased by the Diputación de Burgos.

The monastery of San Salvador was one of the largest in Spain since the Middle Ages to modern times and in its various buildings and structures there are traces of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. The monastery's facade is Baroque of the second quarter of the 17th century, the interior of the church ranges from the 13th to the 18th century with Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque influences; The Mayor chapel is 15th century, the Real and Condal pantheons have 15th century gothic sarcophagi; the church altar is of a churrigueresco style from the 18th century; the vestry, built in the late 16th century is of an Herrera style; the Chapter House is late 17th century although covered by a Gothic vault decorated with ornamental motifs of the late 15th century and the Gothic cloister, from the 16th century, was built by Simon de Cologne and stands out amongst the remaining buildings of the monastery for its beauty and purity of style .

Both the sacristy and museum of the Monastery of San Salvador have important pieces of sculpture and jewellery besides textile works from the Middle Ages.