Monasterio de la Rábida

Andalucía

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In the pretty, peaceful village of La Rábida, don’t miss this palm-fringed, hilltop Franciscan monastery, visited several times by Columbus before his great voyage of discovery. Highlights include a chapel with a 13th-century alabaster Virgin before which Columbus prayed, and a fresco-lined Mudéjar cloister, one of the few parts of the original structure to survive the 1755 earthquake.

It was here that Columbus met Abbot Juan Pérez, who was instrumental in helping him gain backing from the Spanish Crown for his ambitious plans to cross the Atlantic. Fine early 20th-century frescoes by Huelvan cubist painter Daniel Vázquez Díaz detail Columbus' adventures.

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  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Spain",
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