The Obscure Convent of Alcantarilla: A Hiding Spot for the Mínimos?

In the heart of Alcantarilla, Spain, a Baroque convent still stands, but only its facade and sections of the towers along the church remain. Some say it was forsaken by its occupants, while others claim it was bewitched. But the truth, it seems, is elusive. The façade, divided into three parts by pilasters, exhibits a stone entrance embellished with composite order pillars and a curved pediment. The conundrum surrounding the central, undecorated stone block on the main entrance persists: was it intended for a relief or a Marian portrayal? The cloister, a quadrilateral with three stories, features pilasters and a pattern of curved and triangular frontons. For over a century, the Virgen de la Salud, the town's patron, dwelled there, from 1721 to 1767. The convent served double duty as a hospice and hospital, but its real mission remains a puzzle.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons