Las Dueñas Convent

Las Duenas Convent (Convento de las Duenas) is a Dominican convent in Salamanca best known for its beautiful cloister. Founded in 1419, Las Duenas Convent is housed in a grand Moorish style building and remains home to the Dominican nuns whose life of prayer and work is reflected in their surroundings. The church belonging to Las Duenas Convent was built in the 16th century.

Las Dueñas Convent history

The Convent of Santa María de las Dueñas , popularly known in Salamanca as Las Dueñas , was founded in 1419 to host the nuns of the Order of Santo Domingo. For this reason, the convent is also spoken of as that of the Dominicans. The original building, which was donated by Juana Rodríguez Maldonado, is an interesting example of Mudejarwas built in the Mudejar style, a style of which there are visible samples. It is an interesting example of Mudejar (Moorish-Christian) architecture. Over the years some of the parts were modified so that the convent today has a mixture of styles in which the Renaissance cloister, the Gothic church and the Plateresque façade stand out.

The part of the convent that is most noteworthy is the cloister which dates back to 1533. It has two floors, on the lower floor, the arcades are decorated with medallions while in the upper one, the columns feature sculptures of plant elements, humans and animals.

Las Dueñas Convent today

As the convent is still in use so only the courtyards are open to visitors. The courtyards are a peaceful place to walk around and admire the architecture.

Getting to Las Dueñas Convent

The convent is located at the Plaza del Concilio de Trento. The nearest train station is Salamanca la Alamedilla.