Convento de San Juan de Dios

The Convent of San Juan de Dios de Olivenza is a historic convent in the town of Olivenza (Badajoz), located inside the bastion of the same name and at the coordinates provided. The current denomination coexists with that of the Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, the original name of the building, so that in the patrimonial documentation it appears linked to both dedications. Its construction took place between 1556 and 1631, in the 16th and early 17th centuries, based on testamentary donations to found a convent of Poor Clare nuns. The episcopal license was granted in 1601 and the inauguration took place on July 6, 1631. Therefore, it is a work of transition between the final Renaissance and the first Baroque, with a historical evolution linked to the conventual architecture and the fortification of Olivenza. The building was later occupied by the religious hospitallers of San Juan de Dios and had military uses, as a hospital and barracks, which explains its strong integration in the defensive system of the town. It currently houses the Tourist Office and the Alqueva Visitor Reception Center, as well as interpretive and public use spaces. Among its documented heritage features are the square floor plan organized around a large central courtyard in the form of a cloister and the classicist doorway mentioned in tourist sources. Its interest lies both in its architectural value and in its historical role within the old stronghold of Olivenza.