The Monastery of the Barefoot Royals in Valladolid

The Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, or the Monastery of the Barefoot Royals, has a name that tells a tale. The 'Descalzas Reales' refers to the practice of the nuns in the convent to go barefoot within the cloister, a nod to the Colettine branch of the Order of St. Clare. However, this monastery is to be distinguished from a similarly named one in Madrid of the same Order (see Convent of Las Descalzas Reales).

In Valladolid, the roots of the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales reach back to 1550 when it was established in Villalcázar de Sirga. The original community was dedicated to Our Lady of Pity. By 1552, with the aid of their patron and protector, the Count of Oscorno, the community had moved to its permanent home in Valladolid. The dedication of the monastery was changed to Our Lady of the Assumption by order of King Philip III of Spain, who also initiated a rebuilding program. The monastery occupies a spacious site in the city, between calle de Ramón y Cajal, at the corner of calle de San Martín and calle del Prado.

The present building is in 17th-century neo-classical style to designs by Francisco de Mora. In 1552, Fadrique Osorio of Toledo and his wife, Inés de Pimentel, Marquess of Villafranca, bought for the convent the Palace of Alonso de Argüello, the houses licensed to Galarza, and those licensed to Ortiz. All of these buildings were perfectly suited to life in a convent.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons