Santo Domingo de Silos is a real favorite for anyone. It is a beautiful monastery situated in the hills south of Burgos. It houses brethren from the Benedictine order. Its greatest treasure is its cloister that dates from the 11th century.
At the corners of the cloister there are panels the depict moments from the life of Christ.
Here is the crucifixion. Notice at his feet is a box with a shroud the up above a small hand. This represents Adam and the redemption that comes from the Savior.
Here is doubting Thomas.
This is the depiction of the Road to Emmaus. Notice that the Savior wears a shell on his sachel: a symbol of the pilgrim.
Two wonderful things happened to us here. First, we became acquainted with Father Bernardo. He is an 88 year-old monk. He is an amazing person with a deep spirituality. He took us on a tour of the cloister and shared so many wonderful insights regarding the sculptures that he has contemplated for several decades.
He has written poetry that talk about spirituality. His works are indeed beautiful. I bought two of his collections and asked him if he would sign them. He took them in his hands, wrote a brief dedicatory, blessed the books with the sign of the cross, and then held them each tightly in his hands. I told me that he was infusing them with his spirit. Here I am with him:
Seth also had a chance to interact with him. It was a special moment for all of us.
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