Description of the attraction
In Seville, on Santa Clara Street, there is the building of the ancient Convento de Santa Clara monastery. Today, this building, recently opened after a lengthy restoration, houses a cultural center. The building was restored almost from ruins, more than 8 million euros were allocated by the city government for this, and the restoration work was carried out for 8 years. The ceremonial opening of the center, which received the name of the Cultural Center of St. Clara - after the monastery of the same name, took place in 2011.
The monastery, which was located here earlier, was founded in 1289 by King Ferdinand III of Castile. Initially, the monastery served as a residence for the Infanta Don Fadrique, son of King Ferdinand and brother of King Alfonso H. Later, the monastery became the abode of nuns of the Order of Saint Clara. In the period between the 16th and 17th centuries, a monastery complex was completed here. The appearance of the building intertwines Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles with Renaissance and Mudejar styles.
In the courtyard of the monastery complex there is a tower built in the 13th century and bearing the name of the Infant Don Fadrique. Of all the premises of the monastery, the refectory, kitchen, monastic cells and other household premises are well preserved. The monastery church has been restored, inside of which there are four altars, made by Juan Martinez Montanes. During the restoration work, magnificent, well-preserved frescoes were discovered, which can now be seen by visitors to the cultural center of Seville.
