Royal Monastery of La Encarnacion

This monastery is situated in the Plaza de la Encarnacion square. It was built in the 17th century under the orders of Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III, who charged Juan de Mora with the project. The church underwent considerable refurbishments in the 18th century following a fire. The architect Ventura Rodriguez was responsible for the Neoclassical design of the building, and the interior was decorated by the foremost artists of the time.

Some of the rooms in the monastery are open to the public today, such as the Salon de Reyes (Hall of Kings), the choir stalls, the cloister and the sacristy, where you can see works by Jose Ribera, Antonio Pereda, Lucas Jordan, and Gregorio Fernandez. The highlight of the monastery is the reliquary room and contains sculptures by Juan de Mena and Salzillo. The relics include the phial containing the blood of Saint Pantaleon which in a curious phenomenon returns to its liquid state every year on the 27 July.

Practical info:
Construction: Monastery
Origin: 17th century
Artistic period: Neo-classical
Historic period: 17th century - 18th century

Prices:
General: €7
Reduced: €4
Admission free
Children under 5; and on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon (European Union citizens), and 18 May
ICOM members and associations: Admission free
Disabled persons: Admission free

Useful information:
From Tuesday to Saturday
From 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
From 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Public holidays and Sundays
From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Closed: Mondays, 1 and 6 January, Easter Week, 1 and 15 May, 27 July, 9 November and 24, 25 and 31 December.