Convento de las Duenas (Duenas Convent), Salamanca
Founded by Juana Rodr铆guez de Monroy, a Castilian noblewoman, the Duenas Convent emerged from the noblewoman鈥檚 own palace, which she generously donated to Dominican nuns as a retreat for devout women of high birth鈥攈ence the moniker 鈥淟as Due帽as鈥�, meaning The Noble Ladies. The original Mudejar-style elements of the palace, such as horseshoe arches and decorative tiles, remain visible in spots like the upper cloister, lending a distinctive architectural heritage to the site.
The convent was built in 1419 and around 1533, it expanded significantly with the construction of its church and cloister. Built by Dominican friar Mart铆n de Santiago, the church features a single Gothic nave capped with rib鈥憊aulted ceilings and concludes with an apse framed by a Baroque altarpiece. Yet the true architectural jewel lies in the convent鈥檚 cloister鈥攁n irregular, pentagonal two鈥憀evel structure that had to adapt to pre-existing walls and corridors.
The lower galleries boast segmental arches supported by slender columns, with intricately carved medallions in the spandrels. The upper galleries are framed by classical lintels, columns, and sculpted footings, while the caps display imaginative and fantastical motifs鈥攎onsters and grotesques among them鈥攎aking this cloister a standout example of Plateresque ornamentation. Remarkably, the Duenas Convent remains an active home for Dominican nuns, preserving its historical purpose as a spiritual retreat.
The convent was built in 1419 and around 1533, it expanded significantly with the construction of its church and cloister. Built by Dominican friar Mart铆n de Santiago, the church features a single Gothic nave capped with rib鈥憊aulted ceilings and concludes with an apse framed by a Baroque altarpiece. Yet the true architectural jewel lies in the convent鈥檚 cloister鈥攁n irregular, pentagonal two鈥憀evel structure that had to adapt to pre-existing walls and corridors.
The lower galleries boast segmental arches supported by slender columns, with intricately carved medallions in the spandrels. The upper galleries are framed by classical lintels, columns, and sculpted footings, while the caps display imaginative and fantastical motifs鈥攎onsters and grotesques among them鈥攎aking this cloister a standout example of Plateresque ornamentation. Remarkably, the Duenas Convent remains an active home for Dominican nuns, preserving its historical purpose as a spiritual retreat.
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Convento de las Duenas (Duenas Convent) on Map
Sight Name: Convento de las Duenas (Duenas Convent)
Sight Location: Salamanca, Spain (See walking tours in Salamanca)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Salamanca, Spain (See walking tours in Salamanca)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
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