This is now a nunnery of the order of St Clare located in a nearby town at 5km from the city centre. It dates from the early 16th century although the church in its current style was built between 1752 and 1766.
Of the former fortified edifice only the defence tower (1582) is still preserved, on the right side of the building. The monastery has a fine, stylised, triple-panel baroque door, and inside, behind the high altar, is a finely-wrought hexagonal chamber (1677-1680) decorated with paintings by Juan Conchillos and containing a reliquary of the Holy Visage, inside of which, according to tradition, is one of the folds of the linen that Veronica used to wash the face of Christ on His way to Calvary, brought from the Vatican in the last third of the 15th century. Since 1489 popular pilgrimages have been made to this site each year, demonstrating the enormous devotion that Alicanteans have for the Holy Visage. Buried at the monastery are two of the city’s illustrious sons: the composer Oscar Esplá and the painter and sculpture Eusebio Sempere.
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