Monasterio de la Inmaculada Concepción

Convent of the Immaculate Conception, Cieza

The Monasterio de la Inmaculada Concepción was erected in 1750 as a convent and church of the “Real Orden de Madres Descalzas”, belonging to the religious order of Santa Clara, and for this reason is also commonly known as the convent of the Claras. It is one of the most important and oldest buildings in Cieza  and is still in use today as a convent. Permission to construct the convent was granted in 1743. Work started in this same year and concluded in 1749. In 1750, Fernando VI, granted the convent its license and it opened with 9 novices from Cieza and 5 nuns, who came to the town from the Clarisa’s convent in Mula.  The opening license was given on the condition that its community could not acquire or keep any worldly goods but had to live exclusively from alms and would live under the jurisdiction of the town of Cieza.  The convent was subsequently extended and modified on several occasions, as there was a large influx of new nuns between 1755 and 1775.( See History of Cieza)

It is believed that the convent and church were built by Matías Marín-Blázquez, Caballero of Santiago using a plot of land and existing structures which were part of the development works for the construction of  calle de Mesones . At this point in time the expansion of the town positioned the new church and monastery on the edge of town, although now it is in the centre.

The atrium is accessed through an archway which has a prominent example of the coat of arms of its founders carved into the stone.  The coat of arms is divided into the following families: Marín-Blázquez, Melgares, Padilla and Moya.  This is repeated on the other coats of arms in the convent.

The focus of the building is its cloister which is simple and frugal. Life in the convent took place around the cloister in the following areas: lobby, bedrooms, work room, library, refectory seating up to 50 nuns, kitchens, etc.

Another important open air area inside the monastery was the courtyard which housed the water tank for irrigation and more recently the community cemetery which was previously in the crypt of the lower choir.

The monastery also has allotments which can be reached via internal arches. Today the nuns still cultivate trees, vegetables and flowers in this area.

The church is a single building of medium dimensions with no external wall to the street accessible through an arch in the monastery.

The cloister has a collection of  paintings, sculptures and artworks, the most notable being the  "Niño de la Bola" by Francisco Salzillo, the most important baroque sculptor in the Region of Murcia. ( Click for more information, Francisco Salzillo).Opposite the entrance to the convent is a striking sculpture in homage to the brotherhoods who parade in Ciezas Semana Santa