Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (Pedroche) facts for kids

Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (which means Convent of Our Lady of Conception) is an old, partly ruined building in Pedroche, a town in Córdoba Province, Andalusia, Spain. It's a special heritage site. Nuns from Santa Clara de la Columna de Belalcazar started this convent in 1524.

The building is in the old part of town, close to the main church and another old chapel. It was built in the mudéjar style, which is a mix of Christian and Islamic art. A bell-gable (a wall with openings for bells) was added in the 1700s. After a war caused some damage, a new altarpiece (a decorated screen behind the altar) was put in place in 1942.

Exploring the Convent's Design

The convent was made bigger over time as more nuns joined. Most of the original building is now in ruins or empty. However, you can still see parts like the dining hall (refectory), kitchens, stairs, a special cloister with a well, courtyards, gardens, and even a cemetery.

Main Entrance and Galleries

The main door of the convent opens right onto Francisco Botello street. It's made from strong granite blocks. The entrance has a unique double arch design. Above it, a gallery features six arches supported by granite pillars. This gallery has two more granite doorways. In front of this area is the entrance to the church itself.

Inside the Convent

The church and the convent are connected by a large room. This room is divided by a big arch supported by a granite column. You can go down three steps to reach a lower area. The staircase has two parts, turning at a right angle, and its steps are made from single pieces of granite.

The dining hall is a long, rectangular room. It has three oval-shaped arches made of granite. This hall leads directly to the kitchen, a pantry, a small herb garden, and the cloister with the well.

The Cloister and Gardens

The Cloister of the Cistern is a large, unevenly shaped area. It's like a garden filled with fruit trees, such as pomegranate and lemon. You can also find fragrant shrubs like laurel and beautiful flowers like roses here. On one side, it borders the cemetery. There's also a two-story gallery with arches where the nuns' old rooms used to be. In this cloister, there's a well with a decorative top from 1956.

To the west, there was once a large garden. Today, it's divided by a low wall. This wall separates the old garden from a newer building. This new building was built in the 1900s to house parts of the old convent.

The Church Interior

The church is built across the convent, not in line with the outside street. It has a special area called the presbytery and a dome. The dome is decorated with paintings that show scenes from Christ's Passion and Mary's Compassion. At the back of the church is the choir area. A wrought iron column helps support the ceiling. The choir loft connects directly to where the nuns' old living cells were. You can enter the church from the street through an opening in one of its walls, which has granite block frames.

See also

In Spanish: Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (Pedroche) para niños