Convent of Santa Clara

In 1614, some nuns from Orduña (Bizkaia) joined another group of devout people from Portugalete, embraced the order of St. Clare and founded this cloister convent outside the town walls. The convent building, in an unadorned Baroque style, suffered the consequences of its use as a barracks in the 19th century during the Carlist wars and Mendizabal’s disentailment. At the end of the 19th century, it underwent refurbishment work with Francisco Berriozábal’s response to historicist taste, acting on two elements: the main access and the belfry. In 1976, the nuns abandoned the convent and moved to a nearby building where they occupied the last two floors.

In 1987, it was bought by the Council for its refurbishment. The vegetable garden was turned into a park and the former cloister into an amphitheatre. It is currently the town’s culture centre.


  • Santa Clara