The Convent of San Bernardo

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Memory spaces · Year: 1592

The initiative of setting up a nuns' convent in the city dates back to 1572. In 1576, Felipe II authorized the Cabildo de la Catedral de Santa Ana to build this convent. At the same time, the Cabildo island government donated the hermitage of Our Lady of La Concepción for this very purpose, next to which the monastery was built. It was located on the street or square of the same name. The new convent was occupied by nuns in 1592, but seven years later they had to move out when they came under attack by the Dutch army, who destroyed the whole building. It was rebuilt en the first decade of the following century, this time a large square monastery standing on two floors with four cloisters, and a tile gabled roof. The hermitage was integrated into the south wing of the building. It was the largest monastery building in the city. Its cells catered for over a hundred nuns.

In the second half of the 18th century, it suffered a severe fire which partially destroyed it. In the dictionary by Pascual Madoz it says the following: "This convent is the largest to have existed in the Canaries and had four large courtyards, a beautiful garden and a magnificent orchard with plenty of water to keep it spruce, and everything within the cloisters. There were four grand cloisters, held up by an endless line of pillars, containing the nuns' cells, an infirmary, kitchen and other rooms. It looked more like a big city neighbourhood than a refuge for a few poor nuns".

Following the confiscation of the church's belongings, it was demolished in the 19th century. Its surface area covered a whole block, between today's streets of San Bernardo, Viera y Clavijo, Perdomo and Pérez Galdós. The alterpiece in the main chapel is still preserved at the church of La Concepción, in the district of Tafira.

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