Description of the attraction
The Convent of Mercy in Mexico City was one of the cloisters belonging to the Mersedaria - Catholic monks of the Order of the Blessed Virgin of the Merciful, which was founded to redeem slaves from enemy captivity. It is believed that the temple at the Convent of Mercy was the most beautiful in all of New Spain. Unfortunately, it was subsequently destroyed during the implementation of the reform on the transformation of the city, which dates back to 1861. It was planned to build a new market on the site of the Convent of Mercy. The monastery building was preserved. It is one of the few remaining monuments of Moorish art in the Mexico Valley. On June 3, 1932, the Monastery of Mercy was included in the list of the country's historical heritage.
The history of the monastery began in 1595, when the general of the Mercedarians, Father Francisco Jimenez, bought a plot in the east of Mexico City for 18 thousand pesos in Guillermo Brondata. On September 8, 1602, the Comte de Monterrey laid the first stone in the foundation of the temple, which, as a result, was turned into a chapel. In 1634, the monks invited the architect Lazaro de Torres to build a new church. It was completed in 1654. The temple was adjacent to the monastery building on the west side. It was built in the shape of a Latin cross with three naves and topped with a gabled roof.
The residential building of the monastery, consisting of several arcaded buildings that form the inner courtyard, has survived to this day. It was erected in the period from 1676 to 1703 with the financial support of Count Miravalla. At the beginning of the 20th century, the monastery did not belong to the church, but now it has been returned to its owners again.
