The Monastery of Saint Bernardino of Siena

I went for a walk through Valladolid and found this active cathedral known as the Monastery of Saint Bernardino of Siena. The locals call it “Sisal”, from the Mayan word “Ziil-Hail” which means “of cold waters”. I saw that there was a mass going on inside, and walked up to the large entrance to take a look.

A man came over from a side door and told me in Spanish that I could take a self guided tour of the building for 30 pesos (about $2). I figured this out after a couple minutes of hand signals and hearing a few words I knew.

It was very dark inside the building, as the sun was setting by the time I went inside. There were only a few lights every so often, so I was roaming around in the dark hallways looking for places to explore. I found a staircase that led me up to the top level of the building, and discovered a doorway that led out above the main church area where mass was going on.

Church Mass in Progress

The San Bernardino Monastery was built in 8 years by Franciscan monks, and finished in 1560. Before it was the massive structure it is now, there was a modest building that got burned down during a Mayan revolt. The Cathedral is also located on top of a large cold water cenote. The building was completely self-sufficient, with gardens for growing food and plenty of fresh water from the cenote below.

The area on the right has no roof, and this was so the Mayans could attend services while not mixing with the whites…

There is a small one room museum in the building, as well as courtyards and remnants of the old gardens, complete with water wheel. I got lost in the complex for a while, but that was mainly due to the lack of light.

One thing I love about the town of Valladolid is that I feel like one of the only “tourists” here. I hear it is just because I am visiting during the slow season, but I’m glad it has worked out this way. Touring an ancient cathedral in the dark, completely by yourself, is a much different experience than walking through with 20 or even 5 other visitors.

Dark Cathedral Staircase

To get the photo of the front of the Monastery, I went back early in the morning around 6:30am when there weren’t as many people milling about. Sometimes I’d rather get photos of scenic monuments without tons of people around, and this means getting up early or heading out late when others aren’t up. On a typical day though, there are many locals hanging out on the grass in front. Families with baby strollers, and groups of kids playing soccer.