Descalzas Reales: the convent of the royal women
A few steps from the shops of the Puerta del Sol, behind a plain brick and granite front, nuns still live in the convent that a daughter of Charles V founded in 1559. You can only see it with a guide, in a small group, and that is part of its spell.
- What it is
- Church
- Time to allow
- 1 to 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Ticket
- Best time
- A morning, booked ahead
Madrid this week
Why the Descalzas Reales is worth it
Joanna of Austria, daughter of the emperor Charles V and sister of Philip II, was born in a palace on this site. Widowed young, she founded in it a convent of Poor Clares, the barefoot or descalzas nuns, in 1559.
For two centuries it took in daughters and widows of the royal family and of the high nobility, and they brought their dowries with them: paintings, reliquaries, tapestries and furniture. It became one of the richest convents in Europe, though its nuns lived in poverty.
It is still a working convent. Patrimonio Nacional, which looks after the royal sites, opens part of it to visitors on guided tours, while the community of nuns lives in the rest.
What to see
The grand staircase
Its walls and vault are painted with illusionistic architecture, and the royal family looking down from a painted balcony.
The Rubens tapestries
The Triumph of the Eucharist, a series of great tapestries woven in Brussels after designs by Rubens, given to the convent by the Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia.
The chapels and cells
Small chapels around the upper cloister, each furnished by a noble family, and the rooms where the royal nuns lived.
The paintings
Flemish, Italian and Spanish paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, many of them portraits of the women of the Habsburg family.
How to do it well
- Visits are guided only, in small groups, and places go quickly. Book on Patrimonio Nacional's site.
- Arrive a little before the time on your ticket: the group goes in together.
- Photographs are not allowed inside.
- It is closed on Mondays and on some holidays. Patrimonio Nacional lists the closures on its site.
Where it is
Address
Plaza de las Descalzas, between the Puerta del Sol and the Calle del Arenal
Nearest station
Sol (lines 1, 2 and 3) or Callao (lines 3 and 5), five minutes on foot
Museums and sights nearby
- Plaza Mayor300 m
- Royal Palace of Madrid650 m
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum1.0 km
- Temple of Debod1.1 km
Distances are in a straight line.
Tickets and tours: Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales
Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales: common questions
- Can you visit the Descalzas Reales?
- Yes, on a guided tour run by Patrimonio Nacional, in small groups. It is a working convent, so only part of it is shown.
- Who founded the Descalzas Reales?
- Joanna of Austria, daughter of Charles V and sister of Philip II, in 1559, in the palace where she had been born.
- Are there still nuns at the Descalzas Reales?
- Yes. A community of Poor Clares lives in the convent, in the parts that visitors do not see.
- How much time do you need for the Descalzas Reales?
- Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.
What visitors say about the Descalzas Reales
Rating from Google
Things to do near the Descalzas Reales
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 12Walk the Gran Vía and stand at Kilometre Zero in the Puerta del Sol300 m awayWalk, 1 to 2 hours, free
- 6Walk from the Plaza Mayor through Habsburg Madrid300 m awayWalk, 1 to 2.5 hours, free
- 14Find Goya and Zurbarán at the Real Academia de San Fernando500 m awayMuseum, 1 to 2 hours, ticket
- 2Walk through the state rooms of the Royal Palace650 m awayMonument, 1.5 to 3 hours, ticket
Artists to see near the Descalzas Reales
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, 1.0 km away
Museo Nacional del Prado, 1.3 km away
Where to eat near the Descalzas Reales
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.
- Chocolatería San Ginés4.3Chocolate shop, Puerta del Sol200 m away
- Casa Labra4.3Tavern, Puerta del Sol200 m away
- La Mallorquina4.1Pastry shop and café, Puerta del Sol250 m away
- Taberna La Bola4.2Tavern, Ópera400 m away
Hotels near the Descalzas Reales
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.
- Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá4.7Five-star hotel, Ópera300 m away
- Four Seasons Hotel Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Canalejas550 m away
- JW Marriott Hotel Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Canalejas550 m away
- Gran Hotel Inglés4.7Five-star hotel, Barrio de las Letras650 m away