Monastery of the Mother of God (Olmedo) facts for kids

The Monastery of the Mother of God is a special place where Dominican nuns live and pray. It's located in a town called Olmedo, in the Valladolid Province of Spain.

This monastery started in 1528. Back then, it was a beaterio, which was a place where religious women lived together without being fully cloistered nuns. It was called Sta. Catalina and was supported by Doña Francisca de Zuñiga, who was an abbess (a leader of a monastery) from San Paio in Santiago.

History of the Monastery

Challenges and Survival

The monastery faced a big challenge during the Mendizabal confiscations. This was a time in Spain when the government took control of many church properties. Even though the government tried to close it, the monastery stayed active thanks to a brave leader named Mother Prioress Isabel de Garcimartín. She, along with three young nuns, managed to keep the monastery going until 1868.

Rebuilding and New Beginnings

In 1868, the monastery was officially recognized as a religious place again. However, it was still a difficult time, and the monastery almost disappeared in the years that followed.

In the 1950s, the nuns at the Monastery of the Mother of God asked for help. The Dominican Sisters from Daroca (a town in Zaragoza) sent three nuns to help them continue their religious work. One of these nuns was Sister Teresita del Niño Jesús Pérez de Iriarte.

The building you see today was mostly built in the 1600s. It was then rebuilt and repaired in the 1800s, making it the structure we know today.

See also

In Spanish: Monasterio de la Madre de Dios (Olmedo) para niños