Real Monasterio de Santa Clara de Tordesillas
Poor Clare monastery of the Patrimonio Nacional, built over a 14th-century Mudéjar palace, with a golden chapel, an Arab courtyard and Arab baths.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Real Monasterio de Santa Clara is a complex of styles spanning from the 12th to the 18th century. It stands on a former royal residence built by Alfonso XI, where his son Pedro I built a Mudéjar palace between 1354 and 1361, a notable example of Hispano-Muslim architecture. In his will, the king asked his daughter Beatriz to turn it into a home for Poor Clare nuns, and the convent was founded in 1363. Of the palace, the doorway, the vestibule, the golden chapel and the entrance courtyard survive; on the façade there are two green ceramic keys of paradise (llaves del paraíso) and two stone plaques commemorating the Battle of the Salado.
The route passes through the Arab courtyard and the golden chapel, remnants of Alfonso XI’s former palace, and continues through the refectory and the cloister of the Patio del Vergel to the antechoir and the long choir, which served as a provisional church until the definitive church was consecrated in the 15th century. The chapel of the Saldaña family is one of the first examples of Flamboyant Gothic in Castile and contains a very important Gothic sculptural ensemble. The presbytery of the church is covered by a five-panel Mudéjar timber ceiling, with geometric interlace, gilding and 43 paintings of saints attributed to Nicolás Francés, who is also credited with the Flemish altarpiece in the Saldaña chapel.
Behind the church are the old Arab baths, with the three traditional rooms: the cold, tepid and hot rooms. The monastery belongs to the Patrimonio Nacional and is still inhabited by a religious community, so visitor numbers are limited.
Highlights
- Arab courtyard and golden chapel, remains of the Mudéjar palace of Alfonso XI and Pedro I
- Mudéjar timber ceiling over the presbytery, with 43 paintings of saints
- Saldaña chapel, with Flemish altarpiece and Gothic sculpture
- Arab baths with cold, tepid and hot rooms
- Façade with green ceramic keys of paradise
Permanent exhibition
- Visita al Real Monasterio de Santa Clara – Route through the Arab courtyard, the golden chapel, the Vergel courtyard, the long choir, the church with its Mudéjar ceiling, the Saldaña chapel and the Arab baths.
- Operated by
- Patrimonio Nacional
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €9 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 4 · Free admission for under-5s, according to the Castilla y León tourism portal. |
| Groups | €8 per personAgency rate. |
| Self-guided visit (weekends and public holidays) | €6At weekends and on public holidays, a self-guided visit is offered in addition to the guided tour. |
Free admission: Wednesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 to 18:30 (last admission 17:30), subject to the conditions set by Patrimonio Nacional; also on 18 May and 12 October, according to the Castilla y León tourism portal.
Single rate of €9. Tickets are bought on the Patrimonio Nacional sales website or at the ticket office. A free admission scheme exists for certain groups (conditions on the Patrimonio Nacional website).
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- 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
The monastery states that there is access for people with reduced mobility and that it has manual wheelchairs. Patrimonio Nacional publishes a leaflet on accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | From Tuesday to Friday the visit is guided; at weekends and on public holidays there is both a guided tour and a self-guided visit. Capacity is limited by the size of the spaces and by the presence of the religious community. According to the Castilla y León tourism portal, tourist groups must bring their own authorised guide. |
