Convento de Santo Domingo

The Convent of Santo Domingo de Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real) is a Dominican convent complex of great patrimonial interest, associated with the church of Santo Domingo and the preserved monastic buildings. It was founded in 1526 on the initiative of Juan López Garci-Fernández and given to the Dominican order, who settled in the town. The church has a Latin cross plan, with a single nave, short-armed transept and attached side chapels; local tourism sources place it in the 17th century and link it to the religious architecture of the Counter-Reformation. The complex preserves outstanding elements such as the brick cloister with semicircular arches on pillars and Tuscan pilasters, as well as Quevedo's cell, one of the best known spaces in the building. In 1844, with the disentailment of Mendizábal, the convent was closed and went through various subsequent uses, preserving especially the church and the sacristy. The place has a singular historical value because Francisco de Quevedo died there on September 8, 1645, a fact which reinforces its cultural relevance within the heritage of Villanueva de los Infantes.