An easy drive from the Clos Maria estate lies the historical Montastery of Sant Maria d’Escaladei, the birthplace of this magical wine region.

In 1194 – Count Berenguer IV’s son King Alfonso II of Aragon (AKA “Alfonso The Chaste”) gave the Carthusian Order of monk’s dominion over the land surrounding Escaladei, just down the road from the Priorat town of Poboleda. Founded in 1084 by St. Bruno of Cologne, the Carthusian Order combined two seemingly contradictory aspects of monasticism: hermetic life and community living. And so, Carthusians lived as recluses, but in a community. The order also brought the knowledge of wine making and soon after the Priorat region became a center of wine production.