2025 Spain Medieval Monastery Excavation: In Search of the Buried Viscounts
Session II
Open
Sep 7-Oct 4, 2025
Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Forensic Studies
Dr. Llorenç Alapont Martin & Mr. Juan José Ruiz Lopez
$4,350
Jul 25, 2025
Jul 26, 2025 10:00am Pacific Time
8 Semester credits
Please read before applying
This program is focused on the recovery of Medieval human remains buried under the floor of a church. The program is designed to train students in the process of exhumation and identification and studying human remains.
This program is emotionally and physically demanding. It requires the utmost respect for the dead and the living. Students should be aware of the challenges and attend only if they feel this type of experience is for them.
This program DOES NOT offer onsite professional grief counseling.
OVERVIEW
The Chelva Monastery was established 1390 CE, the oldest Franciscan mission in Spain. By the 16th century, the Church of San Francisco was built attached to the convent, in a Late Gothic style. According to written records, between 1551-1558 CE the Viscounts of Chelva – important leaders of the Iberian period – were buried under the alter of the church (Fig 1). This project is design to verify the validity of these textual records, excavate the remains of these important figures and study the life and death of elite, individuals from the nobility class of the period.
The alter section of the Church
Exterior view of the Chelva Monastery
Closeup of the alter section
The floor under which the Viscounts are likely buried
The alter section of the Church
An interior view of the Church of San Francisco
An aerial view of the Chelva Monastery
Instructors
All field school directors are experts in their field and passionate about their work. To discuss the suitability of this program for your career goals – whether within or outside academia – you are invited to contact the directors directly. For a broader discussion which CFS program to choose, you are welcome to contact our staff directly – you can do that through our “Contact Us” page.
Prof. Llorenç Alapont Martin
Universidad Europea Valencia
Mr. Juan José Ruiz Lopez
Fundación Antonia Calavel
Testimonials
This is a new program. There are no testimonials at this time
student fees (tuition)
what is covered
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DEPOSIT IS PART OF TOTAL TUITION COST
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Costs of Instruction
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Room & Board
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Cost of Academic Credit Units
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Health and Evacuation Insurance
read befor you pay
- Application: You must apply online for this program – application is free
- Deposit: A $300 nonrefundable deposit (part of the total tuition cost) is required to secure a space in the program
- Credit Card Fee: Payments with credits cards incur 2.5% processing fee
- Late Fee: A $100 Late Fee will be added to the program costs if tuition is not paid in full by payment deadline
- Cancelation Policy: Carefully read our Cancelation Policy before committing to attend our programs
- Trip cancellation Insurance: Trip cancellation insurance is not provided by CFS. Such policies have changed due to Covid 19. If you wish to purchase an insurance policy that covers pandemic contingencies, explore Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) plans. Insuremytrip or Travel Guard are possible websites where you may explore different insurance policies
Accommodations
All staff and student will be staying 14th century Franciscan convent. The rooms are individual simple, comfortable, and welcoming with free WiFi. The convent has large rooms, bathrooms, showers, library, dining room, a fully equipped kitchen, conference room, recreation and outdoor dining area, as well as a barbecue area.
diet
The program provides three meals a day during the week. Students are responsible for their own meals during the weekend. Please note that dinner in Spain is quite late, usually served at 8:30pm.
travel information
We suggest you hold purchasing airline tickets until six (6) weeks before the program begins. Natural disasters, political changes, weather conditions & a range of other factors may require the cancellation of this field school. CFS typically makes a final Go/No Go decision about six weeks before the field school begins. To protect students from potential financial loss, we urge students to purchase airline tickets only six weeks prior to the program beginning.
We will meet students on Sunday, the first day of the program, at 5:00pm at the Valencia Airport (VLC). The meeting point is by the Tourist Information Booth at the Arrival Hall. Students will then be transported to Chelva by car, a trip of about two hours.
visa information
Citizens of the US, Canada and EU countries do not require visas to enter Spain. You will need your passport to be valid for at least 90 days and will enter on a tourist visa. Citizens of other countries are asked to check the embassy website page at their home country for specific visa requirements
No vaccinations are required for entry to Spain. It is highly recommended that all personnel working in archaeology will have updated Tetanus shot or booster.
Meeting Point
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 2025 | 5:00pm | Valencia Airport arrival area, by the Tourist Information Booth |
Safety
Our primary concern is with education. Traveling and conducting field work involves risk. Students interested in participating in our programs must weigh whether the potential risk is worth the value of education provided. While risk is inherent in everything we do, we do not take risk lightly. We engage in intensive review of each field school location prior to approval. Once a program is accepted, we review and monitor each program annually to make sure it complies with all our standards and policies, including student safety.
Students attending our international programs are covered by a comprehensive Health Insurance policy that includes physical illness or injury, mental or chronic conditions. There are no deductible and 100% of costs are covered up to $250,000. In addition, we provide Political & Natural Disaster Evacuation policy, which allow us to remove students from program location if conditions change.
Students attending our domestic programs (within the US) must have their own health insurance and provide proof upon enrollment. Program directors are familiar with local authorities and if in need of evacuation, local emergency services and/or law enforcement will be notified and activated.
We have an explicit and robust harassments & discriminations policies. If students feel they cannot discuss personal safety issues with program staff, they are welcome to call the CFS emergency hotline and talk directly with CFS staff members.
Call (+1 562 584-0761) or email (info@fieldsciences.org) if you have questions about the safety of any program.