Convent of Santa Teresa de Jesús in Antigua Guatemala–
a favorite, now open to the public!
After the extensive restoration carried out by the CNPAG since 2006, the Convent of Santa Teresa de Jesús is once again a delight to visit. The convent was built in 1675 by renowned Guatemalan architect Joseph de Porres. It was inhabited by eighteen nuns and three novices from the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant order founded in the 16th century by Saint Teresa of Ávila. The nuns lived in this lovely two-story structure until it was damaged by the earthquake of 1717, which required significant repairs. It suffered further and more severe damage in the devastating earthquake of 1773, which ultimately led to the relocation of the capital.
After being abandoned for decades following the 1773 disaster, the convent later witnessed a surprising variety of uses. In 1906, Mauricio Rossbach leased the property from the municipality for Rossbach y Cía., transforming it into a strawberry-liqueur distillery and soda factory. Later, the property was used as patios for drying coffee.
A less fortunate chapter began in 1955, when a presidential decree relocated the men’s jail from Antigua’s City Hall Palace to the convent. The prison remained there until 2008, when it finally moved out and the National Council for the Protection of Antigua Guatemala (CNPAG) began restoration work.
Today the convent houses the CNPAG’s Center for the Restoration of Movable Property and Archaeological Research, and it also serves as an impressive venue for cultural events.
The church, also designed by Joseph de Porres and built between 1683 and 1687, suffered damage in the earthquakes of 1717 and 1773 and was subsequently abandoned. It is currently undergoing careful restoration by the CNPAG and is expected to open to the public once the work is completed. Recent archaeological excavations uncovered burial vaults for priests beneath the original floor level, possibly dating from the 1730s.
The church façade, also designed by Porres, is particularly striking. According to recent architectural analysis by José María Magaña, the tympanum on both sides of the façade features a Jewish menorah, with a Teotihuacan-style sun above each one.
Located on the corner of 4ª Avenida and 1ª Calle, the convent is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance fees are Q5 for Guatemalans, Q40 for foreigners, Q20 for foreign students, and Q15 for Central American visitors.
Written by Elizabeth Bell
Photos by Scott Stanton
Convent of Santa Teresa de Jesús in Antigua Guatemala
