Santa Clara de Asís, 17th-century convent in Lima District, Peru.

Santa Clara de Asís is a convent of Poor Clares occupying most of a block in Barrios Altos, bounded by Cangallo, Huánuco, Junín, Jauja and Áncash streets. The present church, rebuilt in the 19th century, has a neoclassical facade with twin towers; the main cloister dates from 1627. Inside are an 18th-century rococo main altarpiece, a 19th-century neoclassical altarpiece of Saint Clare with an 18th-century effigy, and the 17th-century Cristo de Burgos in an adjoining chapel.

A chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Peña de Francia stood here until 1596, when construction of the church and monastery began. Archbishop Toribio de Mogrovejo obtained approval from Philip II by royal decree in 1592 and from Pope Clement VIII, and the temple was inaugurated on 10 August 1605. The Portuguese Francisco Saldaña gave his estate to fund the foundation. The main cloister dates from 1627, the church from 1643-1646, and the present temple was rebuilt in the 19th century; it was declared a Historic Monument on 28 December 1972.

The monastery keeps the name of the Virgin of Peña de Francia, a devotion brought from Salamanca and still visible in the church's title. Its patron founders were Archbishop Toribio de Mogrovejo and the Portuguese Francisco Saldaña, who gave his estate to the foundation. The nuns follow the Rule of Saint Clare under the reform of Pope Urban IV, which allowed the community to hold goods and rents.

The convent is open to visitors during regular hours and allows you to explore its architectural features and interior layout. It is best to dress modestly and move quietly, as this remains an active religious site where people come to pray.

The single tower that survived the 20th-century demolition of the church was kept when the street line was straightened, and the present neo-colonial facade carries a replica of that original tower. Inside, the 18th-century rococo main altarpiece stands alongside a 19th-century neoclassical Retablo de Santa Clara whose niche holds an 18th-century effigy of the saint.