Huesca temática

Number 184. April-Juny of 2015 Spanish language Principal menu


The "Onsera" valley (hermitage)

A representative place
of peregrination and devotion

    This sanctuary that in other times was an important monastery, is found in a rural and picturesque place of an incomparable and majestic beauty. It rises below an imposing rock, where an intermittent cascade flows. The tradition and the legend are mixted in its origins by the staying of saint Úrbez at this place, there for the year 750, according to the compassionate highlanders belief of faithful to the tradition.
    It is possible that initially had hermit life for afterwards having Community; However it seems unlikely that then would be governed by the rule of St. Benedict. The iconography shows the attribution of ownership to San Martin, Bishop of Tours. It is known that there were monks before XII century, under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Huesca.
     In 1110 the abbot Peter, donated the monastery to the Royal Family of Jesús Nazareno de Montearagón and was subsequently asked the saint to intercede for the offspring of his third wife, Leonor, would be a male (as it happened). For the same reason, later pilgrimaged in 1524 Alfonso Felipe de Gurrea y Aragón (Count of Ribagorza) and his third wife (Ana de Sarmiento) walking barefoot from Pedrola (Zaragoza); they made a novena (nine days) to St. Martin and the February 17, 1525 a son was born to them who; they named him Martin. Pedro IV, who professed great devotion to the monastery, demonstrated it providing in the shield of the University of Huesca (which he founded), that should be reflected San Martín, in his invocation of the Val d'Onsera, near the crucifix and the image of Nuestra Señora de Salas.
     In 1522, with the breakup of the extensive dependent territories of the Abbey of Montearagón, went to the jurisdiction of the bishop of Huesca (seems that at that time, the nuns had left the monastery, which threatened shambles). But, he continued like Sanctuary certainly highly revered.
     The canon Juán Agustín de Carreras Ramírez y Orta (Huesca, 1639 - Ibieca (HU) 1711) lived as a hermit for many years and like San Úrbez, came to evangelize around. Here lies an ancient and illustrious brotherhood founded Jaime II (militated as brothers he, his son and Aragonese nobles). It was restored by Pedro IV who also enrolled his son and himself.

     According to Mr. Gregorio Garcia Ciprés, Parish priest who was of Loporzano, the Cenobio of San Martin de la Val d'Onsera is three leagues from Huesca, in the terms of Santa Eulalia la Mayor, in a place with a backdrop of towering rocks and multicolored, which only the human effort has been made available. Here abounded in other times Bears (hence the name).
      There are two huge boulders that almost seem to come together at the top to form as a cover, where the wind always blows; It is an area known as Puerta del Cierzo. From here to the summit of Salvador, there is an hour on a bumpy road that someone shortened for the shortcut named La Viñeta (huge rock that stands vertically accessed by some stairs practiced in it).
      Acording some ancient writers, there was here a chapel dedicated to the Salvador and by the neglect of their caretakers made dissapear the door, being desecrated several times for this reason. In 1588, the Bishop of Huesca, in a Santa Visita, ordered to close `by stone and mud'. However, a fence was colocated to allowe pray from outside. In time, its dilapidated state conditioned its demolition.

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      It was prayed to prevent dangerous descent leading to the bottom of a ravine, which led to a large view of lush greenery, with a beautiful waterfall at the top. This waterfall was produced by a stream that falls from about 60 meters. This is the cave where San Martin lived after leaving his military life.

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 Manuel Tomé *  Various Internet sources
** Manuel Tomé Bosqued


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