Its original name is Domus Dei monastery, it is located in La Aguilera (Burgos) and currently houses the Iesu Communio women’s congregation.

ORIGIN:

Franciscan in style, it has its origins in a hermitage from the end of the 14th century, erected near the village of La Aguilera (Burgos). Around 1404, the Franciscan Fray Pedro de Villacreces settled there along with other companions. On his death (1422), the Valladolid-born Pedro Regalado, who had accompanied Fray Pedro on his journeys since he was fifteen years old, was appointed prelate and took charge of this and another convent (El Abrojo in Laguna de Duero).

San Pedro Regalado dedicated himself to various tasks in La Aguilera, especially the care of the poor, but also the almost continuous silence he maintained, spending most of the nights in prayer. Numerous miracles are attributed to him, and he was canonised in 1746 (almost three centuries after his death in 1456 in La Aguilera, at the age of 66).

San Pedro Regalado is the patron saint of Valladolid, of La Aguilera and of bullfighters (his feast day is celebrated on 13 May).

PROPERTY:

In 2004 the Franciscans ceded the use of the monastery for 30 years to the CLARISAS community installed in La Aguilera. Subsequently, they acquired the monastery, and in 2010 the new religious institute (called Iesu Communio) was approved by the Holy See, confirming Sister Verónica as superior general.

HISTORICAL FIGURES:

Several are the historical personages linked to this sanctuary:

• In 1492, different royal chronicles state that Queen Isabel La Católica visited La Aguilera on several occasions, after being informed that the relics of San Pedro Regalado were in humble and poor sepulchre. The queen ordered an alabaster tomb to be made for him, ordering the body of the Franciscan friar to be transferred to his new tomb, taking advantage of this fact to obtain relics, and Isabella kept one of his fingers. When they cut off the hand of the corpse, blood began to flow, and almost 40 years had passed since his death, a new miracle of this saint?
• In September 1517 the monastery welcomed Cardinal Cisneros into one of its cells, just a few weeks before he died.
• In 1610: the improvement of the (then) infant Philip IV is attributed, in part, to the intervention of Saint Pedro Regalado (through the relic of his fingers, which were brought to Aranda).
• Several Franciscan friars were called as confessors to members of the Royal House, such as Isabella (wife of Emperor Charles), Anne of Austria (mother of Philip III), the daughters of Philip II (Clara Eugenia and Catalina) and the infant Philip IV himself.

THE BUILDING:

• The original church of the sanctuary (built in 1438 by San Pedro Regalado and dedicated to the mystery of the Annunciation), suffered a fire in 1699 and was rebuilt in 1706. It houses the collection of fifteen sargas (paintings on linen) made by Fray Diego de Frutos in the first half of the 18th century, illustrating the life of San Pedro Regalado.

To the central nave are added:

• Chapel of the Glory: built in 1593 where the original chapel was located. So called because of the decoration of its dome and the numerous relics of saints it contains.
• Baroque Chapel: construction began in 1692 and was conceived as a funerary chapel, in a space rich in symbolism. The ground plan is octagonal, reminding us that Pedro Regalado has entered on the eighth day: the day of victory.
• Dressing room: includes three canvases from the school of Velázquez depicting these scenes:

1. Queen Isabella’s veneration of Saint Peter (recounted above).
2. The healing of the infant Philip (described above).
3. The saint continues to help his friends the poor after his death.

• Sepulchre: The remains of the saint are kept in an alabaster urn in the centre of the chapel. The urn was built in 1910 from parts of the original tomb commissioned by Queen Elizabeth.
• New buildings have been added around the old Franciscan monastery, such as a church for the daily use of the community, a guest house, a parlour and a circular building with cells for the nuns.