Description of the attraction
The convent of Santa Clara is located on 2nd North Avenue. The large spacious monastery was founded in 1699 with funds donated by José Hurtado de Arria and Maria Ventura Arrivilaga. Initially, it was a small church and several houses around, hosting five nuns. They occupied the monastery from January 14, 1700, from the day of its official foundation. In 1703, the official construction of the complex began, completed two years later.
According to descriptions from various sources, it was a building with a tiled roof, partially destroyed after the earthquake in 1717. The renovation work lasted almost 26 years and was financed mainly by private individuals. Almost nothing of the original buildings survived, many changes were made, the church and monastery were reopened and consecrated on August 11, 1734.
All efforts to bring the monastery courtyard and structures into proper condition went to waste after another natural disaster in 1773, when an earthquake razed all buildings to the ground. Another attempt was made to restore the cult place, but in 1874 there was another tremor that destroyed the complex.
Today, landscaped gardens can be seen that accentuate the central courtyard around the two-level fountain. A distinctive feature of the complex is that its façade is inside, richly decorated with stucco molding, just like the façade of the church. The exterior decoration of the walls is unremarkable; the interior has preserved corridors with arches around the patio.
The most interesting site is the underground part of the monastery, which is perfectly preserved, with multifunctional rooms, crypts and burial rooms. At one time it was one of the largest religious buildings in the city.
