I heard about this place years ago when it housed a closed order of Carthusian monks and access was very restricted. Nowadays it's run by le Chemin Neuf, a different type of order, and anyone can visit. The monastery was built in the 16th century. I've never seen anything like it , but apparently that's how Carthusians lived. Each "father" had an apartment with a garden. They lived and worked there, coming out for the offices of the day. You can see the gardens in the photo.
The Aula Dei, God's Dwelling (or court, or hall) is some way out of Zaragoza; about 30 minutes' drive away, in the country. In this photo you can't see the city at all. Opening time is 12, and just before that there was quite a crowd of tourists waiting outside the gate. Once it opened there was a walk down a long, tree-lined drive to the entrance, where we paid for our tickets and were led into the monastery. It's a fairly long guided tour with detailed explanations by a French lady who is a member of the community there.
What is special about this place is the massive wall paintings. They were done by Francisco de Goya when he was only 26 years old. When the monasteries in Spain were disestablished-sold off in 1836, this chapel was used for drying fabric, and many years of drying caused terrible damage to the paintings. Some were completely ruined. These were replaced by some French painters, the Buffet brothers at the beginning of the 20th century. To me, the replacements look like slightly fuzzy Rosettis.
You are not allowed to take photos in the chapel. These are taken from Google; if anyone objects, please tell me and I will remove them.
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