Smack in the middle of Ruzafa is a nondescript convent, dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. Found on C/ General Prim, this is seriously one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sights of the city.
The convent’s location is one of the most storied in Valencian history. Here, on September 29th of 1238, King James I of Aragon and Valencia’s Moorish king Zayán signed the peace accord which put the city in Christian hands. James entered Valencia a few days later, reclaiming the city for the Christians forever.
The convent itself has had a turbulent history, as well. Originally constructed in 1661, it was completely destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. Reconstruction occurred during the 1940s and the convent was put under the care of Clarisa nuns. In recent times, it’s come under the stewardship of Franciscans.
We recently took a short tour of the convent. It’s not a tourist attraction which has “opening hours” per se, but if you ring the doorbell and ask politely, you shouldn’t have any problems seeing the grounds. The convent is serene, and includes a nicely kept garden (with bushes cut into the initials for “peace” and “goodness”). The chapel isn’t as impressive as some others in the city, but stillness and reflection seem to be the motifs of the Convento de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles. The custodian Franciscans are not necessarily trying to impress tourists.
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