The ''Convento de las Brígidas'' () is a former

Bridgettine The Bridgettines, or Birgittines, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Saviour (; abbreviated OSsS), is a Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), religious order of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Birgitta (Bridg ...

convent in

Vitoria-Gasteiz Vitoria-Gasteiz (; ; also historically spelled Vittoria in English) is the seat of government and the capital city of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country and of the provinces of Spain, province of Álava in northern Spain. I ...

, Basque Country, Spain. The convent, whose current building dates from the early 20th century, has been vacant since 2007.

History

The earliest documental evidence of the convent dates from 1291. The document is an agreement between the city of Vitoria and the Brotherhood of Arriaga in which was mentioned as marking the borders of the city. At the time the site was a leper hospital operated by the

Order of Saint Lazarus The Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, also known as the Leper Brothers of Jerusalem or simply as Lazarists, was a Catholic military order founded by Crusaders during the 1130s at a leper hospital in Jerusalem, Kingdom of Jerusalem, whose car ...

. The earliest municipal documents mentioning the hospital, from 1480, called it . In 1575 the decision was taken to convert the hospital into a convent, with the first

Discalced Carmelites The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel () or the Order of Discalced Carmelites (; abbreviation, abbrev.: OCD; sometimes called in earlier times, ), is a Catho ...

arriving in 1589. Relations between the Carmelite nuns and the city were contentious, often requiring the intervention of the

nuncio An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is ...

. As a consequence, on 15 March 1653, the

Bridgettines The Bridgettines, or Birgittines, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Saviour (; abbreviated OSsS), is a monastic religious order of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Birgitta (Bridget of Sweden) in 1344 and approved by Pope Urban V ...

arrived to the city to replace the Carmelites. The was founded in 1671 by nuns from Vitoria. The in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

was also founded by Bridgettines from Vitoria in 1739. The old convent was demolished in 1906 to make room for the construction of the New Cathedral. The new convent was built from 1907 to 1909 under the direction of

Fausto Íñiguez de Betolaza Fausto Íñiguez de Betolaza Sáez de Asteasu (21 February 1849 – 19 January 1924) was a Spanish architect. He has been described as the most important architect in Álava together with Justo Antonio de Olaguibel. Biography Fausto Íñiguez ...

. The neoclassical façade of the old convent, dating from 1783, was dismantled and rebuilt at the new site. The convent has been vacant since 2007, when the last remaining nuns relocated to

Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

. A proposal was made in 2022 to turn the premises into a

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...

, but the plans were dropped in early 2024.

Architecture

The most notable element of the convent is the Neoclassical façade designed by Olaguíbel in 1783, originally flanked by two Ionic columns. The church itself has a floor plan in the shape of a Latin cross with very short arms. Its vault is painted with frescoes by local painter Lucio Ruiz. The main altarpiece was purpose-built for the new convent, but the lateral ones were originally from the old one.

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Convento de las Brigidas, Vitoria-Gasteiz Buildings and structures in Vitoria-Gasteiz Convents in Spain Relocated buildings and structures in Spain Bridgettine monasteries Neoclassical architecture in Spain Religious buildings and structures completed in 1909 1909 establishments in Spain 2007 disestablishments in the Basque Country (autonomous community)