Convent of Nuestra Señora de Gracia

Alonso de Cepeda sent his daughter Teresa to this convent against her wishes in 1531 to help her mature and give her an education. Her stay was interrupted in autumn 1532 by a serious illness that led to her return to her father’s house. María Briceño’s care and teaching was essential for her education and her decision to become a nun. The original communion rail and confessional box from the period have been conserved.

Possibly built on the site of a former mosque, the Convent of Augustinian Nuns was founded in 1509 and can be identified from the surrounding buildings by its brick steeple. The church was built in Gothic style using granite ashlars and only the upper end can be seen from the exterior, with buttresses on the edges. Inside, it has a layout with one single nave. It was built between 1531 and 1535 and its construction was financed by Pedro Dávila. The church was damaged by fire in 1622 and its refurbished vaults date from said year.

Its most important work of art is the main altarpiece, which was made by Juan Rodríguez and Lucas Giraldo in Renaissance style and dates from the mid-16th century.