It was founded by Philip IV to host the Castilian monks from the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey (Catalonia) who came fleeing the Catalan Revolt. The Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey was the main Benedictine center of Catalonia and had belonged to the Castilian jurisdiction of Valladolid since 1493, when Ferdinand II of Aragon sent 14 monks from Valladolid and made the abbey dependent on the congregation of this Castilian city. The Catalan monks, were unhappy that their abbot was almost always Castilian, and took the opportunity of the Revolt to oust the Castilian monks.