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descalzas reales monastery

This outstanding 16th century building is an old royal monastery converted into a convent for Franciscan nuns

The Convent of Las Descalzas Reales, tucked away in the alleys of Callao, occupies the former palace that was the residence of Carlos I and Isabel of Portugal and where their daughter Doña Juana was born in 1535. Juana was the widow of the Prince of Portugal and mother of Don Sebastián, the future king of Portugal, when she founded this Convent for the Barefoot Order of Franciscan nuns in 1557. Her tomb is in one of the chapels, with a praying funerary sculpture by Pompeyo Leoni.

The cloisters still preserve the structure and many decorative features from the Plateresque-style palace. Doña Juana lived here in the Convent, as did her sister María, the widow Empress, who died here in 1603. You can still see some 17th century frescoes on the staircase and in the Milagro chapel. The Convent also has an impressive art collection, with works by Gaspar Becerra (main altarpiece in the church), Pompeyo Leoni (statue showing the Infanta Juana at prayer) and many more.  

Visiting here is nothing like the hustle and bustle you find in museums, as silence and quiet reflection prevail. There are some lovely Brussels tapestries based on sketches by Rubens and depicting the Apotheosis of the Eucharist, commissioned for the Monastery by Felipe II's daughter, Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia, Governess of the Netherlands.

The cloister is one of the Monastery's show pieces, and becomes the centre of attention during Easter Week, when the recumbent figure of Christ by Gaspar Becerra is carried out from here in procession.

The building stands on the site occupied by a mansion until the 16th century, in what used to be the poor area of San Martín. Nowadays, some parts of the Convent are still closed off to the public, but the area open to visitors houses a permanent exhibition tracing its history and showing some of the art works that have been here since the 16th century.

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