One of Europe's great Cistercian monasteries, the royal monastery of Santes Creus, rises up majestically on the left bank of the small river Gaià. It was founded in 1160 by monks from the abbey of Grandselve. In the early 14th century, when it became the first royal pantheon of the Crown of Aragon, Santes Creus was the gateway for Gothic art in Catalonia. The austerity of the Cistercian style and the decorative richness of the Gothic still engage in a dialogue today at the monastery, and this gives it a unique identity.