The Cistercian Monastery of Barría dates back to the Early Middle Ages, to the 13th century, and is situated on the southern lower slopes of the mountains bordering Oñati. It is believed to be one of the first Cistercian monasteries. Its age is confirmed by a papal bull issued by Pope Gregory IX in 1232 which conserved the Order. Until the 19th century it had its own parish church. Especially noteworthy are the cemetery of the abbesses and the two storey cloister, with six arches at the sides and a high closed gallery with rectangular windows. To sum up, this is one of the most outstanding early mediaeval monasteries in Araba, of exceptional archaeological interest and due to the remains still lying in the subsoil, of exceptional anthropological interest.
However, there are no remains at all of the first mediaeval building, as the oldest remains date from the 15th century. Differentiation should be made between two parts of the monastery site, firstly the Church of Nuestra Señora de Barría and secondly the Cistercian monastery itself. The Church is a temple from the end of the 15th century and has a rectangular layout.
