Toro has several monasteries located throughout the city with a rich history and heritage, monasteries of monks and nuns who fill with religiosity and spirituality a thousand-year city.

 

Royal Monastery of Sancti Spíritus(14-17th century)

Inhabited by Dominican Cloistered Nuns, it was founded by the Portuguese Princess Teresa Gil and currently being turned into the Museum of Sacred Art.

Its Moorish Cover, the important collection of tapestries from the 14th century and the magnificent alabaster tomb of the Queen Doña Beatriz de Portugal from the 15th century stand out among others. During the 15th century in the monastery highlighted the presence of two member of the Spanish Monarchy: the queen Beatriz de Portugal, the wife of the king Juan Carlos I de Castilla and Leonor Sanchez de Castilla, the daughter of the Count Sancho de Castilla and granddaughter of the king Alfonso XI de Castilla.

In 1868, during the Glorious Revolution the nuns were forced to leave the monastery although they returned three years later in 1871. During those three years countless works of art of the monastery disappeared.

Sancti Spiritus Convent was declared a Monument through decree on 27th September, 1943.

Click here to view our photo gallery of the Monastery of Sancti Spíritus.

Monastery of Santa Sofía

Monastery of Santa Sofía celebrates its 700th anniversary since the founding of the convent in 2016.

The monastery was founded in the early 14th century by the regent Queen of Castilla D. María de Molina. The queen gave this building to the nuns of the Real Monastery of Santa Clara.

In 1834 a thunderbolt fell on the old tower of the palace and caused serious damage to the monastery and destroyed the Moorish coffered ceiling of the courtyard. Being a cloistered monastery, the interior cannot be visited with the exception of the church that celebrates daily mourning service.

Click here to view our photo gallery of the Monastery of Santa Sofía.

Convent of San José(Discalced Carmelites)

In the plaza del Carmen of the city rises the Convent of San José, founded nearly four centuries ago. In 1619 the first eight Discalced Carmelites came to this place. Since then hundreds of women have come to this place to devote herself to God in body and soul, following the footsteps of Saint Theresa of Jesus.

The Barefoot Carmelites were born out of the reform carried out by Saint Theresa of Jesus in the 16th century. In Spain the 1677 Carmelite nuns lived in small fraternal communities spread over 140 convents.

The church has a single nave, with two side chapels, the high altar is presided by a Baroque altarpiece with gold-leafed carving and with San José and a number of oil paintings around it. There is also a painting of Saint Theresa made by Gregorio Fernández.

Click here to view our photo gallery of the Convent of San José

Convent of Purísima Concepción and San Cayetano

The Convent of Purísima Concepción and San Cayetanois in the historical centre of the city, occupies practically the entire city block between the Antigua Street, San Juan Street and the Plaza de Cubos. Only 6 religious nuns live insidewho belong to the Comendadoras Mercedarias Descalzas.

The building is an old palace of the 16th century that was owned by Juan de Ulloa, a monumental central courtyard and a beautiful staircase that you cannot visit. We can visit its chapel, with a single nave and covered by wooden coffering.  If you would like to access the entrance is in front of the market and the Palace of the Bolas.

Royal Monastery of Santa Clara

It was founded by Doña Berenguela, the eldest daughter of King Alfonso X, The Wise. It has a large central courtyard with the balcony made of brick from the 18th century, inside there were frescos that now we can find in the Museum of San Sebastian de los Caballeros. Inside there are works of great value.

Click here to view our photo gallery of the Royal Monastery of Santa Clara.

Convent of PP. Mercedarios.

Its official title is: "Orden de Descalzos de Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Redención de Cautivos Cristianos" or "Padres Mercedarios Descalzos" and after the religious name the acronyms of O.M.D.

In the convent located on the Ronda de Capuchinos Street Nº2 in Toro, there is a religious community that continues selling liqueurs with the brand of "Padre Evencio", not for profit-making but to maintain the convent and [...] in order to simply have enough revenue for repairs. "Padre Evencio" was a well known monk who combined his pastoral task with his great hobby which was making liqueurs. He dedicated a large part of his life to it with an impressive business success.