Royal Convent of La Encarnación
Encyclopedia
The Royal Monastery of the Incarnation or Real Monasterio de la Encarnación is a convent
of the order of Recolet Augustines located in Madrid
, Spain. The institution mainly interned women from noble families, and was founded by the Queen Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III
, and thus was well endowed with wealth. Although it belongs to an enclosed religious order, the building is open to the public under the administration of the Patrimonio Nacional
.
s, resident Moors. The queen had the prioress of the monastery of discalced nuns of San Agustín in Valladolid
, Mother Mariana de San José, accompanied by Francisca de San Ambrosio (sister of the marquesa de Pozas), Catalina de la Encarnación, and Isabel de la Cruz. First lodged in the Convent of Santa Isabel
while they awaited the completion, they received donations from the king and queen, including jewels, to finance the monastery. The monastery was built adjacent to the then extant Real Alcázar, and had a passageway to allow the royals direct access. The monastery was inaugurated in the 2nd of July of 1616, a few years after the queen had died.
The architect and friar Alberto de la Madre de Dios designed and built the monastery between 1611-1616. The facade has a sobriety recalling the style of Juan de Herrera
. The monastery, now partly a museum, has a wealth of works of art and relics including tubes with the blood of St. Januarius and of St. Pantaleon.
During the reign of Charles IV of Spain
, his prime minister, Manuel Godoy, would attend daily mass here, walking from his nearby Palace of Floridablanca. When Joseph Bonaparte
entered Madrid as king, a hanged cat was found on the monastery gate with the writing: Si no lías pronto el hato,/ te verás como este gato. ("If you don't leave this town soon/ you'll end up like this cat"). In the 19th century, the composer Lorenzo Román Nielfa was professor of music here. The monastery was open to the public in 1965.
The interior of the church was redecorated in the 18th century, including frescoes in the ceiling of the main chapel by Francisco Bayeu. In the center of the retablor of the main altar is an Annunciation by Vincenzo Carducci
. The tabernacle was completed by Ventura Rodríguez. The small statues of the Doctors of the Church and the bas-relief of the Savior are by Isidro Carnicero.
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of the order of Recolet Augustines located in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain. The institution mainly interned women from noble families, and was founded by the Queen Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
, and thus was well endowed with wealth. Although it belongs to an enclosed religious order, the building is open to the public under the administration of the Patrimonio Nacional
Patrimonio Nacional
The Consejo de Administración del Patrimonio Nacional is a Spanish state agency, under the jurisdiction of the Minister of the Presidency by delegation of the Prime Minister of Spain, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish...
.
History
The impulse for the founding of the monastery by Queen Margaret, and sometimes the nuns are called las Margaritas, was to celebrate her husband's expulsion of the MoriscoMorisco
Moriscos or Mouriscos , meaning "Moorish", were the converted Christian inhabitants of Spain and Portugal of Muslim heritage. Over time the term was used in a pejorative sense applied to those nominal Catholics who were suspected of secretly practicing Islam.-Demographics:By the beginning of the...
s, resident Moors. The queen had the prioress of the monastery of discalced nuns of San Agustín in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, Mother Mariana de San José, accompanied by Francisca de San Ambrosio (sister of the marquesa de Pozas), Catalina de la Encarnación, and Isabel de la Cruz. First lodged in the Convent of Santa Isabel
Convent of Santa Isabel
The Convent of Santa Isabel is a royal monastery in central Madrid, Spain. Belonging to the Augustine order of nuns founded by the wife of Philip III of Spain, Margaret of Austria, it is located near the Atocha Train Station. A school for girls there had been founded by Philip II...
while they awaited the completion, they received donations from the king and queen, including jewels, to finance the monastery. The monastery was built adjacent to the then extant Real Alcázar, and had a passageway to allow the royals direct access. The monastery was inaugurated in the 2nd of July of 1616, a few years after the queen had died.
Juan de Herrera
Juan de Herrera was a Spanish architect, mathematician and geometrician.One of the most outstanding Spanish architects in the 16th century, Herrera represents the peak of the Renaissance in Spain. His sober style was fully developed in buildings like the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial...
. The monastery, now partly a museum, has a wealth of works of art and relics including tubes with the blood of St. Januarius and of St. Pantaleon.
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
, his prime minister, Manuel Godoy, would attend daily mass here, walking from his nearby Palace of Floridablanca. When Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
entered Madrid as king, a hanged cat was found on the monastery gate with the writing: Si no lías pronto el hato,/ te verás como este gato. ("If you don't leave this town soon/ you'll end up like this cat"). In the 19th century, the composer Lorenzo Román Nielfa was professor of music here. The monastery was open to the public in 1965.
Vincenzo Carducci
Vincenzo Carducci was an Italian painter.He was born in Florence, and was trained as a painter by his brother Bartolomeo, whom he followed to Madrid as a boy....
. The tabernacle was completed by Ventura Rodríguez. The small statues of the Doctors of the Church and the bas-relief of the Savior are by Isidro Carnicero.