The Monastery of Santa Clara joins the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the declaration of La Laguna as a World Heritage City with an open door activity to its Museum of Sacred Art and the courtyard of the convent, which can be visited from today Friday until Wednesday December 4, from 11:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00.

The activity, organized jointly by the Monastery of Santa Clara and the Department of Historical Heritage of the City of La Laguna, allows free access to the museum and the courtyard of the convent, and includes the projection of an audiovisual that tells the yesterday and today of convent life.

The Councillor for Historical Heritage of La Laguna, Elvira Jorge, says that this activity “is a great opportunity to know one of the most important museums of sacred art in the Canary Islands and one of the jewels of the monumental heritage of our city” and appreciates “the willingness of the Poor Clare nuns to join the program organized on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the declaration of La Laguna as World Heritage.

The visitor can get close to the building and restoration history of the building, through the models shown in the cloister. The museum has a collection of spectacular pieces of gold work, especially from the 18th century, as well as works by Gaspar de Quevedo, Juan de Miranda, Francisco Antonio Vallejo, among others, which stand out among a large number of works of art on display.

The Monastery of Santa Clara has been a Property of Cultural Interest, with the category of Monument, since 27 January 1978. It is the first female convent to be founded in the Archipelago, just a few decades after the incorporation of the islands into the Crown of Castile. By testamentary order of Alonso Fernández de Lugo, in 1547 ten nuns arrived in Tenerife from the monasteries of Baeza and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Thirty years went by before they founded and settled permanently in their own property; and it was on the initiative of Olalla Fonte del Castillo, who offered her houses in exchange for her three daughters being taken in as novices of the order.