Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales

The Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales occupies a palace from the sixteenth century, identifiable by its notably sober, unassuming stone façade in the center of Madrid. Founded in fifteen fifty-nine by Joanna of Austria, sister of King Philip the Second, the building served as her birthplace and residence before she converted it into a convent for Poor Clare nuns. These women, known as the Royal Barefoot Sisters for the simple sandals they wore, received vast dowries from the noble and royal families who entered the order.