Convent of San Plácido, Renaissance convent in Universidad district, Madrid, Spain
The Convent of San Plácido is a Renaissance-style convent on Calle del Pez in the Malasaña neighborhood of Madrid, home to a Benedictine community of nuns. The building is organized around an inner courtyard and includes a church that is open to the public.
The convent was founded in 1623 and quickly became linked to the Madrid nobility. It was torn down in 1903 and rebuilt in 1912 by architect Rafael Martínez Zapatero.
The church of the convent holds paintings by Spanish artists from the 17th century, made for the daily prayer of the nuns rather than for a public audience. These works can still be seen today in a space that remains a place of worship.
The convent is still an active religious community, so access for visitors may be limited to certain areas or times. It is worth checking visiting arrangements in advance to avoid any inconvenience on the day.
In the 1620s, the Inquisition opened a formal investigation into the convent after reports of supernatural events among the nuns spread through Madrid. The records of this case have survived and offer a rare window into convent life of that period.
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