Founded in the 13th century on the initiative of Queen Doña Violante, wife of Alfonso X the Wise, the current Santa Clara Convent is a Baroque style building, an emblematic example of the so-called plate Baroque, a style originating in Compostela, which the architect Simón Rodríguez brought to its maximum splendour in the façade of this convent church.
The building, declared a national monument in 1940, was rebuilt in the Baroque style by Pedro Arén in the 17th century and features gigantic chimneys and the design of the façade in the style of a stone altarpiece, where the decorative elements gain volume and sculptural strength as you go up the wall. In the centre of the façade, the variety of ornaments ranges from semi-circular and cylindrical plaques to split pediments, as well as staples and scrolls. At the top, a triangular pediment is surmounted by three cylinders, giving a sense of unstable movement; the coat of arms of the order presides in the centre.
Today, ten nuns live here in the cloister on the large convent grounds. A few days before a wedding, it was a tradition to bring eggs to Santa Clara and ask her for good weather on the day of the wedding.
