The great monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana

Deep in the Cantabrian Mountains in Spain stands the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana. This ancient monastery is in one of the five cities in Catholicism privileged to grant perpetual indulgences, sharing this rare honor with Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela, and Caravaca de la Cruz. This status attracts pilgrims and tourists seeking spiritual solace – and a glimpse of its fascinating, storied past.

The origins of Santo Toribio de Liébana date back to before the 6th century. Initially dedicated to St. Martin of Tours, the monastery later took the name of St. Turibius of Liébana in the 12th century. This change coincided with the monastery becoming the custodian of a remarkable relic: a fragment of the Lignum Crucis, believed to be the largest surviving piece of the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified. This relic was brought from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem by St. Turibius of Astorga – the famed 6th-century bishop whose remains are also buried in the monastery.

The Lignum Crucis is housed in a gilded silver reliquary. It is, of course, the centerpiece of the monastery’s spiritual treasures. This exceptional relic attracts countless pilgrims, especially during the Jubilee Years, when the monastery grants a plenary indulgence to visitors. The Franciscan friars, appointed custodians in 1961, have been instrumental in preserving this relic and promoting devotion to the Holy Cross.

During the reign of Alfonso I of Asturias, who wanted to repopulate the area in the middle of the 8th century, the monastery gained importance as a religious center. Its importance was further cemented when the remains of St. Turibius of Astorga were brought here. This period also witnessed the works of the noted 8th-century monk Beatus of Liébana, whose writings, including the famous Commentary on the Apocalypse, were produced within these walls.

Originally a royal property, the monastery was given to the Count Gómez and Countess Emilia by Alfonso VIII of Castile. It later became part of the property of the Monastery of Oña in Burgos. Although the monastic community was dissolved in 1837, the arrival of the Franciscan Friars Minor in 1961 revived the spiritual life of the place.

For those seeking a deeper connection with their faith, or a journey into one of the pumping hearts of Catholic history, the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana offers a singular glimpse into the enduring legacy of early Christian monasticism.