Descalsas Reales Monastery

Descalsas Reales Monastery is an ancient monastery, leading its history from the XVI century. In 1560, Juana of Austria, the daughter of Charles I, ordered the building to be used as a residence for women of royal blood who wanted to become monks. Fleeing from forced marriages of convenience, the women went to the monastery, carrying a considerable dowry, including priceless works of art. This circumstance quickly turned the monastery into one of the richest monasteries in the country.

The impressive building is filled with treasures: frescoes of various masters adorn a massive staircase leading to the monastery chambers, the ceiling of the hall is decorated with paintings by Claudio Coelho and his students, in the main chapel a lot of silverware, crucifixes of Bohemian crystal. The monastery also holds paintings by Titian, Rubens, Sanchez Coelho, Luini, collections of ancient coins. Here is “Madonna and Child” by Bernardino Luini.