It is situated on a small hill, to the west of Barbastro, where according to tradition the Virgin appeared to the pastor Balandrán in an almond tree.
It is an exceptional location from which to contemplate the central Pyrenees, the outer mountain ranges and part of the Ebro Valley. It is also a centre of popular devotion for a large number of villages in the Somontano.
This area probably had a castle in the 11th century and it is also the location where King Pedro I established himself in order to undertake the conquest of Barbastro.
The monastery has more or less continually been in use.
Currently it consists of buildings and constructions from different eras. The nave of the church and the cloister of the old sections are preserved, which belong to the second half of the 13th century, and are of a gothic style.
Between 1625 and 1639 the apse of the chevet of the church was replaced by a chapel decorated with paintings from the 18th century attributed to Francisco Bayeu, which depict scenes of the life of the Virgin and the cardinal virtues.
The dome of the church was painted in the 18th century by Diego Gutiérrez.
