Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia, Franciscan convent in Yauhquemecan Municipality, Mexico

The Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia is a Franciscan convent in Yauhquemecan Municipality built with solid stone and brick walls. The layout includes a main nave, a tower, an open chapel, and a cloister that together form a working space for worship and monastic life.

Construction of this convent began in 1525, shortly after the fall of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, continuing through the 1500s in multiple building phases. It was built during the early Spanish missionary effort to convert indigenous communities in central Mexico.

The convent was made a sanctuary of the Niños Mártires de Tlaxcala, Cristóbal, Antonio and Juan, beatified by Pope John Paul II in May 1990; they were killed in 1529 for preaching. A surviving mural shows a man confessing while a demon urges him to lie, after which his soul is lost amid a serpent of fire. The Porciúncula door on the north side was opened each 2 August, and those who passed through received indulgences.

The site is located at Plaza Principal in Santa María Atlihuetzia and can be reached via main roads through Yauhquemecan Municipality. Plan time to explore both the interior and exterior areas, as the property has several connected spaces and rooms to see.

The Porciúncula door of the convent opened on special occasions, and according to religious tradition, those who entered received indulgences. This ceremonial door opening was linked to almsgiving and spiritual renewal practices.