Its instigators
Queen Margaret of Austria, the wife of Phillip III, founded this monastery inspired by the religious fervour iof Mother Mariana de San José, who she had met in Valladolid when the Castilian court was transferred to that city. The queen did not live to see the work be completed and it was King Phillip III that founded the convent according to the guidelines laid down by Queen Margaret.
He created a Foundation that was to be located beside the Alcázar (fortress) and which would be dedicated to the worship of the Most Holy Sacrament. The foundation was to be governed according to the guidelines set by the Council of Trent, by means of papal bulls and briefs. The objective was to set up contemplative communities that would ensure perpetual suffrages to benefit the founding monarchs and their descendants.
About the convent
The convent consists of the assets donated by Phillip III and his heirs (including the building, the artistic and everyday objects and the monetary amounts).
Since it was founded, this building has enjoyed royal favour. Throughout its history it was very closely linked to the Crown: first of all with the Hapsburgs and then with the Borbón dynasty.
This propitiated the accumulation of very noteworthy artistic works. The convent is a veritable 17th art museum containing paintings, sculptures, liturgical clothing, relics...
Most works come from donations and foundations made by members of royalty and the nobility, as well as commissions issued by the community.
It is currently still in use for monastic purposes and is occupied by the Augustinian Recollect sisters, who live under a strict cloister regime.
The building
Two architects took part in the construction of this Monastery: Juan Gómez de Mora (1611-1616) and Ventura Rodríguez (1755-1767). It was built in the Baroque style, albeit with great sobriety and a clear Herrerian influence, very typical of Spanish architecture in the first half of the 17th century. The reflection of the humility and simplicity preached by St. Teresa is very visible throughout all of the religious architecture from that time.
The building was part of an extensive complex. It was built as an annex to the Alcázar, with which it was linked through a passage that ran between one of the sides of the main façade of the convent and the House of the Treasure, beside the Alcázar.
The first stone was laid on 16th July 1611 and the building was solemnly inaugurated with great festivities and celebrations in the year 1616. In 1734, the fire that destroyed the former Hapsburg Fortress cut off communication with the convent.
During Joseph Bonaparte's government, Plaza de Oriente was remodelled and the passage was demolished. From 1844 onwards, the convent farm was divided into lots for the construction of buildings, which means that it was necessary to redistribute the interior space, which is how it has been conserved to the present day.
A balance between form and function, i.e. the beauty and the everyday use of the monastery.
The convent complex forms a rectangle, in the centre of which stands the church surrounded by the cloister, the garden, the choir, the reliquary and the surrounding houses that overlook the convent.
The Church
The church is the centre of the monastery and of the whole ensemble with the sacristan and chaplains' homes on the right and the cloister area spread around the courtyard, which is located on the left-hand side of the church. The Nuns' Choir is located beside the presbytery and the Reliquary is located behind the main altar.
The layout is that of the Latin cross, in a single nave and with a narthex under the choir that communicates with the exterior through a simple three-arch doorway.
However, its interior is not from the early 17th century with decoration by Gómez de Mora, who designed altarpieces, since lost, and huge canvases by Vicente Carducho. The shape was the typical example of a church in Counterreformation times, with a large, spacious nave, with no chapels, crossed by another transversal with a dome above the cross. The church was gutted by fire in 1755 and remodelled in the pre-Neoclassical style by Ventura Rodríguez in 1761, on the basis of the original plans by Gómez de Mora.
The current structure of the church was built between 1761 and 1763. It was remodelled by Ventura Rodríguez and financed by the 1000 golden doubloons that the queen, Barbara of Braganza, left the convent in her will.
Nave of the church
Decorated with beautiful frescos on the dome, depicting themes from the life of St. Augustine, by Luis and Antonio González Velázquez. The frescoes in the presbytery are by Francisco Bayeu.
Transept
The arms contain the altars of St. Phillip and St. Margaret, with paintings by Vicente Carducho, from the year 1616. Also depicted are the angels painted by Pascual de Mena in 1762 on the altarpieces made by Ventura Rodríguez in the year 1760.
Main altar
The altarpiece, which dates from the year 1759, is by Ventura Rodríguez. To decorate it, he used the painting of the Annunciation that Vicente Carducho had done in the year 1614 and which was on the original altarpiece. The Annunciation is in the centre, with St. Phillip on the left-hand side and St. Margaret on the right-hand side.
Relicary
Containing a valuable collection of over 700 pieces, including coffers of precious stones and metals with various relics from saints. One very popular relic is the glass containing the blood of St. Pantaleón, which miraculously turns into liquid every year on 27th July.
Sculpture room
With beautiful imagenes from the 17th century: The highlights are those depicting Christ tied to the column and Christ lying down, by Gregorio Fernández, and Our Lady of Sorrows, by the sculptor José de Mora.
Kings' Hall
This space contains an exhibit of paintings of members of the Hapsburg dynasty that were linked to the convent or to other royal Foundations.
Courtyard
Formed by 28 semicircular arches on the ground floor and 28 segmental arches on the upper floor, in line with the Escorial aesthetics of Juan de Herrera.
Façade
Basically a rectangle that is framed by smooth pilasters and capped with a triangular pediment.
King Phillip III's shield includes the names of the territories over which he governed.
Madrid is the capital of Spain. It is located at the geographical centre of the Iberian Peninsula, 650m above sea-level. Its surface area is 531 km2 and it has 5,000,000 inhabitants.
Address:
Plaza de la Encarnación, 1
Tel. no. 914548800
Visiting hours
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays: From 10:30 to 13:00 and from 16 to 18:00
Fridays: From 10:30 to 13:00 H
Sundays and bank holidays: From 10:30 to 14:00 H
Mondays: closed
The earliest human settlements go back as far as Palaeolithic times and it is known that there was a significant population living in the area during the Iron Age. There were no major changes during Romanisation and the Visigothic period. The city was founded in the 9th century when Mohamed I founded an outpost, which he named Magerit, to defend Toledo against Castilian attacks. The city was then divided in two parts: the Alcázar or Almudaina (fortress) and the city with the narrow streets. It then started to grow beyond its gates.
In the year 933, the King of León, Ramiro II, conquered it from the Muslims. The Muslims reclaimed it and it remained in their hands until the year 1085, when it was once again taken by King Alphonsus VI, after which the city's real development began. The charters granted by this King and by Alphonsus VII speak of a rural population, formed by Christians, Jews and Mudéjars. During the reign of Henry IV, the city expanded and the Moorish quarter was formed. The Monastery of the Hieronymites was also founded. During the era of the Catholic Monarchs, Madrid spread southwards, towards La Latina.
The Hapsburg capital
King Carlos I used to spend time in Madrid. He had the Alcázar refurbished and some aristocratic families settled in the city. Phillip II gave the city a new appearance, making significant changes. The population tripled and several civil servants settled there. He gave the city a new appearance: reorganising squares and streets (Plaza Mayor (Main Square), the streets Atocha, Segovia and Mayor) and also commissioned the construction of a new wall.
Phillip III transferred the capital to Valladolid, but embellished the city, rebuilding Plaza Mayor (Main Square) and commencing work on the Jardines del Buen Retiro gardens. Later on, the court was to return to Madrid.
Phillip IV , a great enthusiast of arts and letters, invited artists and literati to come to Madrid and commissioned the building of the last walls, with important gateways: Alcalá, Atocha, Toledo, Segovia. During the reign of the Hapsburgs, few civil palaces were built, but there were many convents and parish churches, of the importance of the Descalzas Reales (Royal Barefoot Nuns), the Encarnación (Incarnation) and the Comendadoras de Santiago (Commanders of Santiago).
Promotion by the Borbón dynasty.
In the 18th century, following the downfall of the empire and with the arrival of the Borbón dynasty, the city prospered and became more beautiful, entering one of its most splendorous phases.
During the reign ofPhillip V , the Royal Palace, the Royal Tapestry Works, the Royal Library and the Royal Academies of the Spanish Language, Medicine and History were built. Other buildings from this time are the Cuartel de Conde Duque (Conde Duque barracks) and the Puente de Toledo (Toledo Bridge). Among other buildings, Ferdinand VI commissioned the construction of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of St. Ferdinand and the Royal Salesians ensemble.
Carlos III: the great artifice of the enhancements in urban planning and of the city's splendour. He has been called the "Mayor King". He commissioned the sewage network, the street paving and also installed the first street lights. He was also responsible for the Paseo del Prado boulevard and for its beautiful Neptuno, Cibeles and Apolo fountains. He also created other boulevards, such as the Acacias, Olmos and La Florida boulevards. Other works that should be mentioned are: the Puerta de Alcalá gateway, the Museum of Natural Sciences (present-day Prado Museum), the Astronomy Observatory in the Retiro, the Royal Customs, the General Hospital, the Church of St. Francis the Great and the Botanic Garden. The noble classes also contributed towards embellishing the city, building beautiful palaces such as the Liria, Buenavista and Villahermosa.
Carlos IV remodelled Plaza Mayor (Main Square)
In the early years of the 19th century, after the War of Independence, came the brief reign of Joseph Bonaparte, who also carried out important urban planning reforms, creating more space, light and green areas. He commissioned several squares, such as Oriente, Santa Ana, Santa Bárbara, Las Cortes, Ramales and Mostenses. During the reign of Isabel II, there was a major progressive, bourgeois urban transformation. The Disentailment Act led to the opening of new streets and squares and to the construction of markets and other buildings. Canal de Isabel II was set up to bring water supplies to the city. Other important works were Teatro Real (Royal Theatre), the National Library or the Congress of Deputies, the extension of Puerta del Sol and the inauguration of the Strawberry Train. Expansion project. In the 19th century, the city was the centre of political intrigues, conspiracies, discussions, with major growth and demographic changes. Gran Vía and Ciudad Lineal were opened up in the 20th century. The Metro was inaugurated during the reign of Alphonsus XIII, who also commissioned the University City and the Palace of Postal Services and Telecommunications. The Second Republic proposed that Madrid should grow northwards, prolonging the Castellana boulevard and commencing the construction of the Nuevos Ministerios (New Ministries) areas. During the civil war, some areas were destroyed. Afterwards, the zeal for development and the need for housing accelerated unprecedented urban growth.
The new city was created between the years 1963 and 1987, when it was adapted to vehicle traffic. Some neighbourhoods grew, modern buildings were constructed and several new neighbourhoods were created to house the growing population. Several projects, such as the extension of the Metro network, the Olympic project and the construction of emblematic buildings all speak of a new city.
Tourist and cultural information hotline
901 300 600
(From 8 to 22 H)
Barajas Airport
International arrivals
902 100 007
( From 8:00 to 20 H)
Chamartín Railway Station (hall)
Tel. no. 902 100 007
Mondays to Saturdays: From 8:00 to 20:00 H
Sundays and bank holidays: From 9:00 to 15 H
Atocha Railway Station (Commuter trains hall)
Tel. no. 902 100 007
From 9 to 21 H
City Hall municipal tourist office
Plaza Mayor, 3
Tel. no. 915881636. FAX 913665477
Mondays to Saturdays: From 10:00 to 20:00 H
Sundays and bank holidays: From 10:00 to 15:00 H
City Council
http://www.munimadrid.es
Community of Madrid Website
http://www.madrid.org
Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid
http://www.madrid.org/bocm
Madrid and its Olympic Bid for 2012
http://www.madrid2012.es
About the Assembly of Madrid
http://www.asambleamadrid.es
TeleMadrid (All news about Madrid)
http://www.telemadrid.com
About the transport information system
http://www.ctm-madrid.es
All about the metro
http://www.metromadrid.es
Prado Museum
http://museoprado.mcu.es
Planetarium
http://www.planetmad.es
The zoo
http://www.zoomadrid.com
About the National Library
http://www.bne.es
About the Royal Botanical Gardens
http://www.rjb.csic.es
Spanish National Heritage
http://www.patrimonionacional.es/
