Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales

The Royal Barefoot Nunnery is an outstanding representative of the Spanish royal religious architecture. The chapel, royal steps and balconies surrounding the monastery are very eye-catching. Since many women of the Habsburg royal family lived in seclusion here, the monastery houses many treasures presented by the royal family. The entire monastery was built during the Habsburg era in the 16th century, while the chapel was rebuilt in the 18th century with a dome painting by Velazquez. After the death of the famous Austrian Emperor Maximilian II, Queen Mary and Princess Margaret spent the rest of their lives here. Now part of the monastery is open as an art gallery, and it is worth visiting the portraits of the Habsburg family, as well as paintings by famous artists such as Subalan, Bruegel, Rivera, and Titian. There are also many paintings, tapestries, religious paintings, statues and sacred objects in the tapestry painting exhibition hall.