Ruins of the Convent of Conception

Its history is not as resilient as that of other religious orders. Bishop Francisco Marroquín donated the land ca. 1563 to build a convent.

Fourteen years went by before a group of religious authorities requested, along with their Mexican counterparts, the arrival of several sisters of the order of the Immaculate Conception to begin the convent.

Location in La Antigua Guatemala Click here and go to the interactive map.

The work of the four initial nuns became evident one year after, when they recruited a new novice who would become the first Guatemalan nun.

This convent was, in fact, the first one for women in Guatemala. The temple was inaugurated in 1729, 166 years after Bishop Marroquin’s initial plans.

Historians of the day state that more novices sought enrollment in the convent. At one time, there were more than 100 devoted sisters living in the facilities.

The Guatemalan Gazette reports that the convent, at one time, housed 103 nuns, 140 novices, 700 maids, and 12 “beatas” .

Today we can see the ruins of the original convent, which was destroyed by earthquakes. The convent was abandoned in 1774.