The Convent of San José in Ávila, a cloistered convent of Discalced Carmelite nuns, was the first foundation established by Saint Teresa of Jesus in 1562, marking the beginning of the Teresian reform. Originally, the convent was composed of several houses, which were grouped together to form an architectural complex that still exists today. Its original small church was replaced between 1608 and 1615 by a larger one designed by architect Francisco de Mora. He introduced the prototype for Carmelite churches, with a single nave and a north-south orientation. Each side of the nave features three chapels. The façade, which became a model for later Carmelite churches, includes a triangular pediment with a large oculus and a niche holding a marble statue of the convent’s patron saint.
The convent reflects Saint Teresa’s ideals of monastic simplicity and austerity. It preserves many of its original monastic spaces, offering a glimpse into the life of the first Teresian convent: the kitchen, the refectory, Saint Teresa’s cell, the cloister, the founding bell, and the “Devil’s Staircase,” where she fell and broke her arm during Christmas 1577. These historic elements are displayed in the convent’s museum, which also holds valuable relics of the saint, including her coffin, her ordination cushion, her signature, and pieces of her clothing.
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Las Madres St, 4, Ávila - Web
None - Visiting Hours
Unknown - What to see
Relics of St Teresa, Museum
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