ROUTE OF CITIES: AVILA

ÁVILA
Monastery of the Incarnation

In this view, you can appreciate the patio outside of the city walls at the convent of the Discalced Carmelites in the Renacentist Gothic style of the 16th cent. It was here that Saint Theresa of Jesus (1,515 - 1,591) was baptized on the same day--the 15th of April of that same year--that this complex was inaugurated. Then in 1,535, she entered to follow an exemplary religious life for the next 27 years, after which she left to inaugurate and to become the prioress for three years of the Monastery of Saint Joseph. She led a reform of the order and it would be here where she received Saint John of the Cross, Saint Peter of Alcantara, and Saint Peter of Borja.

In its first years, the complex itself seemed as a villa with its plaza and central fountain, its church and its dormitory buildings, in which the prioress' differentiated in that it was a small house. Yet all of it was austere leading its residents to follow a saintly life by example. The façade has not changed, with the exception of the espadaña tower (this is a flat wall church bell) built in 1,715. The Coats of arms belong to Don Nuñez del Aguila to whom the monastery owes its founding. Avila

The church is austere without a crossing nor a dome, eventhough throughout its history, it has undergone several artistic additions.

It is interesting to relive the footsteps of the saint and to follow in her "Path to Perfection. "In each of the rooms such as the Locutory of the Holy Trinity, the Altar rail, the Library, The Dart Room in which the angel appeared to her, her own room, and even the cell in which she was incarcerated for her righteous reforms, you can find peace and simplicity in a fascinating ambiance for both pilgrims and visitors.
In 1,728, the Chapel of Saint John of the Cross is built.
In these pictures, you have a general view of the patio adorned and the access to the museum.