ACCOMPANIED BY HER FAMILY, FRIENDS AND PROMINENT FIGURES FROM GALICIAN CULTURE
In a moving ceremony held in the cloister garden of the Monastery of Oia, distinguished historian Carmen Manso Porto was honoured with the 5th Monastery of Oia Recognition Award. The aim of the event was to highlight and celebrate Carmen Manso’s work, dedication and significant contribution to the only Cistercian monastery located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Manso holds a PhD in Art History and is an eminent figure in the field of research. She is a member of several academies, including the Auriense-Mindoniense Academy of San Rosendo, the Royal Galician Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal Academy of History, among others. Within the latter institution, she has played a key role since 1986 as Head of the Cartography and Graphic Arts Section of its Library. She holds a doctorate from the Complutense University of Madrid, and her main research areas range from medieval art to the evolution of mendicant orders.
Despite having lived in Madrid for decades, Carmen Manso has always maintained a strong connection with her native Galicia.
The ceremony opened with a delicate musical piece performed by Samuel Diz, classical guitarist, researcher and close friend of Carmen. During the event, emphasis was placed on her close relationship with the monastery, as she authored a historical and artistic study of the building in 1999, which served as the foundation for subsequent research that has since enabled a deeper understanding of the monastic complex.
Carmen Manso expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Monastery of Oia for this recognition and recalled the years of research she shared with her family within the walls of the cenobium, where she experienced moments that have since become treasured memories. She also acknowledged the tireless work of the current owners in continuing to bring the Monastery to life through cultural programming promoted by the Bretal Foundation, and conveyed her best wishes for the future hotel project.
The Monastery of Oia thus sought to publicly express its gratitude to Carmen Manso for her meticulous work and unwavering dedication. The wide range of research projects that enrich her extensive professional career was also acknowledged and highlighted.
This 5th Recognition Award continues a series of tributes to distinguished figures who came before her. The first award was granted to Joan Salvador, the last surviving prisoner held at the monastery when it was used as a prison during the Civil War. Subsequent honourees include Fernando Javier Costas Goberna, for his long career dedicated to researching and promoting the history of Oia; Grato Amor and Carlos del Río, the latter posthumously, for their research and contributions documenting the Portuguese Coastal Way of the Camino de Santiago; and finally Maxín Picallo, for his outstanding work as a sculptor, during a significant period of his artistic career spent in Oia.
The monastery’s cultural activity continues unabated, and on Saturday 28 October a documentary will be screened at the MARCO Museum in Vigo, recounting the last 150 years of the cenobium’s history, when the monastery served as a home, told through the voices of the women who lived there during this period. The ceremony recognising Carmen Manso represents an important milestone for the Monastery of Oia, which continues to promote its cultural richness and historical legacy. The upcoming documentary screening promises to be another exciting chapter in the living history of this Monastery.
