The Iglesia y Convento de las Capuchinas is a notable convent and church in
Antigua Guatemala,
Guatemala. It is one of the finest examples of an 18th-century convent in Guatemala.
Antigua Guatemala photos
/ref> It was consecrated in 1736 but like the rest of the city suffered damage during the 1751 and 1773 earthquakes
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The hymn that becomes known as ''Amazing Grace'', at this time titled "1 Chronicles 17:16–17", is first used to accompany a sermon led by curate John Newton in the town of Olney, Bucking ...
respectively, and was abandoned by order of the Captain General at the time.
History
The building complex, originally called "Convento e Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza" -Convent and Church of Our Lady of Zaragoza-, was approved by king Felipe V in 1725 just when the Order of Capuchins arrived to Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago de los Caballeros (; '' en, Saint James of the Knights''), often shortened to Santiago, is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean by population. It is the capital of Santiago Prov ...
. Construction started on 1731 and was blessed on 1736 under Diego de Porres supervision; in fact, it was the last convent to be built in the city, and the first one that stopped asking for a donation to the new nuns, allowing then poor ladies to embrace religious life.
Daily routine for the nuns was ruled by strict regulations which include for some the maximum discipline on poverty, penance and fasting; also, they should survive on the tithing only; nevertheless, since the arrival of this convent there were two kinds of nuns in Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago de los Caballeros (; '' en, Saint James of the Knights''), often shortened to Santiago, is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean by population. It is the capital of Santiago Prov ...
: discalced and urban.
In 1920, prince Wilhelm of Sweden visited Antigua Guatemala and mentioned that the old Capuchin monastery with its many underground passages from the monks' cells to those of the nuns was worth a visit, especially one part where the cells were built in a circle surrounding a central common chamber.
Image Gallery
Image:Capuchinasantigua.jpg, Church of the Capuchins towards the end of the 19th century.
Image:Las Capuchinas (3268827745).jpg, Inside the church in 2000
Image:Las Capuchinas (3268828301).jpg, Nun cells/tower of solitude
Image:Las Capuchinas (3269650476).jpg, Pantry
See also
* 1773 Guatemala earthquake
The 1773 Guatemala earthquake struck Guatemala on July 29 at 15:45 local time. It had an estimated epicentral magnitude of 7.5 Mi. It was part of a sequence that started in May that year. There were two strong foreshocks on June 11 and the mainsho ...
Notes and references
References
Bibliography
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External links
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{{Antigua Guatemala Colonial Monuments
Convents in Guatemala
Roman Catholic churches in Antigua Guatemala
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1736
18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Guatemala