Monasterio de Samos

Monasterio de Samos

A must for pilgrims since the early Middle Ages

Located about 12 kilometers from the town of Sarria, is this Benedictine monastery founded in the sixth century (attributed to San Martín de Dumio), of vital importance in the history of the Camino de Santiago as a regular stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

Located in the town of Samos in Lugo, the monastery - one of the most important in Galicia - had a great influence on medieval social and religious life, within the context of the Pilgrim's Way; it had a hospital and a hostel where pilgrims were cared for by the monks (there are records of pilgrim accommodation since the 11th century). 

The Monastery of San Julián de Samos, in the middle of the French Way, has suffered in its history different extensions, abandonments, reconstructions and fires, like the one that razed it in 1558 or the most recent and devastating one, in 1951. 

Nowadays, most of the complex comes from the 18th century, with the different reconstructions and reforms that it has undergone throughout its history, it includes several styles, such as late Gothic, Renaissance or Baroque. 

The complex is composed of a Baroque church built in the 18th century, two cloisters: the so-called Claustro Grande (17th century), Claustro Pequeño or "de las Nereidas" (16th century), a library with more than 25,000 volumes of great historical value and the so-called Capilla del Ciprés (end of the 9th century), more than a thousand years old.

Monasterio de Samos

Samos Monastery opening hours, tours and accommodation

Guided tours are offered by a monk and can be accessed without reservation. On weekdays they start at 12.00 am in the morning and at 4.30 pm in the afternoon. On Sunday mornings they start at 12.45 am -after mass- and in the afternoons at the same time.

In addition, the monastery has two hostels for pilgrims, one inside the enclosure, which is free and only open from March 19. The other is outside, 50 meters from the monastery, and offers accommodation for a fee, all year round.