8. CONVENT
SANTA CLARA

This jewel in the province of Granada was founded by Fray Hernando de Talavera, confessor of Isabella I from Castile, under the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. In the façade, we can see the shield with the lion and the cross, which belong to his order, as well as the tassels; the latter show his superior level of pre-eminence within the Church (archbishops have four rows of tassels).

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Built in Gothic-Mudejar style shortly after the conquest of Loja in the 16th century, it features outstanding Mudéjar collar-beam ceilings in the chapel and in some rooms within the convent. It is built around a courtyard and consecrated to Santa Clara, since this is the female order of the Franciscans. The whole church is full of symbols. During the Baroque period, both the altarpiece made by Gegorio Salinas  and the frescos painted by the brothers Vicente and José de Cieza were added. These frescos hold high iconographic value and depict scenes of Christ and Mary’s lives, in a small and big scale respectively. The church also has several passages pertaining to the New Testament apocrypha, which particularly draws visitor’s attention. The church has been recently restored, while the convent is still awaiting the large funds needed for its definite restoration.

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In the courtyard of this convent, you will find a well. You already know that Loja is famous for its water, wells and fountains (have you seen the so-called 25 caños fountain?). However, this water that flows freely under our feet stretches along a gigantic area. In fact, the aquifer of Loja is one of the largest ones in Andalucía and stretches as far as Zafarraya.