Old Havana Web

This was the first nunnery established in Havana. It came into existence due to the lack of an institution that allowed some town’s notables to give their daughters a proper religious education.

In 1610 the governor Pedro de Valdés was in charge of the collect and of requesting the king’s license for the building. The king did not grant the license until 1629, and it wasn’t until 1638 that the construction began. In 1643 the church was consecrated and the next year the convent and the residence of the Franciscan nuns were opened.

The building runs from north to south. It had burial chambers at the center, where it is said that all the fallen during the English invasion were buried, after the nuns ran away in search of a safer place. The images of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Francis and Saint Clare stand on the high altar of this church. The convent had a cloister, a nursery and an ample orchard.

The Convent takes up four blocks on the old part of the city. Nowadays it is home to the Conservation, Restoration and Museology Center.

Address: Cuba e/ Luz y Sol