Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales

About the museum

The monastery was founded in 1559 by Joanna of Austria, sister of Philip II, on the site of a former palace that had belonged to the imperial treasurer Alonso Gutiérrez. The Poor Clare community moved in that same year, and the church was completed in 1564. The works to convert the palace into a convent were directed by Diego Sillero. Over the centuries it received many noblewomen and members of the royal family, and this is the origin of the valuable heritage it preserves.

The main staircase, with two flights, dates from around 1525, and its wall paintings were made between 1658 and 1661. The church, with a single nave and barrel vault, was remodelled in the mid-18th century by Diego de Villanueva. A fire in 1862 destroyed the high altarpiece by Gaspar Becerra, and the present one comes from the former Jesuit novitiate.

Among its treasures are the series of Rubens tapestries on the triumph of the Eucharist, displayed in the cloister, the praying statue of Princess Joanna by Pompeo Leoni, and a Virgin and Child by Bernardino Luini. Today the monastery, managed by Patrimonio Nacional, remains a cloistered convent of Poor Clares (Coletinas), and part of the building is visited with a guide.

Highlights

• Main staircase with 17th-century wall paintings
• Rubens tapestries on the triumph of the Eucharist
• Praying statue of Joanna of Austria, by Pompeo Leoni
• Virgin and Child by Bernardino Luini
• Capilla del Milagro
• One-hour guided tour

Permanent exhibition

• Visita guiada al monasterio – One-hour guided tour of the main staircase, the cloister with the Rubens tapestries, the chapels, and the rooms with painting and sculpture from the House of Habsburg.

Founded

1559

Operated by

Patrimonio Nacional

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on 18 May, on 12 October, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 to 18:30 (at the ticket office only, with supporting documents, for citizens of the European Union, Ibero-American countries and other accepted groups).

Free tickets are only obtained at the ticket office. Unemployed people with a job-seeker card, ICOM members, official guides and teaching staff with credentials also enter free. Buying online adds about €0.77 in handling fees. The Bono Cultural Joven is accepted.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

According to the Patrimonio Nacional ticket sales website, the visit currently has no access for people with disabilities.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The entrance is at Plaza de las Descalzas, 3.

Amenities & dining

• Lockers

There are ticket offices (lockers) that close one hour before the monastery closes.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit