In 1654, Felipe IV issued a royal decree granting permission to establish the Franciscan convent of San Antonio de Padua in Almendralejo. It was considered one of the best convents at that moment, inhabited by 50 monks and with a capacity for 18 guests.

They were fleeing from the terrible looting and destruction of the villages and convents located on the border, carried out by the Portuguese people. That fact was because of the Spanish war and the Independence of Portugal, were maintained by both countries between 1640 and 1668 at the same time.

The convent was built following the model of the Franciscan Order, in the province of St. Gabriel, with two squared courtyards and connected by an outbuilding in this case, the refectory. The Franciscans through Don Fernando Nieto Becerra, his wife Doña Juana de Alvarado y Mendoza and his sister-in-law Doña Leonor de Alvarado y Mendoza, were able to pay for the factory and maintenance of the community during the time of its construction.

The different rooms are arranged around its squared cloister, with a square well in the centre of it. That is unique for its unusual decoration that imitates scales. The decoration of the convent is basically a 18th century sgraffito with geometric and vegetal decorative motifs, as well as coats of arms and crosses.

It was considered one of the best convents at that moment, inhabited by 50 monks and with a capacity for 18 guests. Its heyday was cut at the beginning of the century with the War of Independence in Spain when the monks were expelled, and the convent became a military barrack.

 

It was in 1835 when the building was expropriated by the Spanish State under the Mendizábal confiscation’s laws and bought by a rich local family for a flour and baking factory. The original brick chimney at the back of the building is still preserved today. Later, the building was abandoned, and it was used for different purposes.
In the 80’s a laborious rehabilitation began, and it was completely recovered in 1997. Nowadays, it houses the Municipal Library and the ‘Universidad Popular’, among other cultural facilities.

 

At the western end visitors can find the church, which stands out from the rest of the building in terms of height, with a Latin cross plan, a transept and a quadrangular head. The temple has a single nave with three sections separated by semi-circular arches with a barrel vault. The remains of the original building are very interesting. We can focus our attention on some baroque tiles and altarpieces located behind the main altar one, which belong to the 17th century. Visitants are able to see 81 tombs from the religious people located on the floor of the temple. There is also a sepulchral stone with the coat of arms of the Monsalud’s family, sculpted with the name of the founders of the convent, which is located next to the staircase of the main altar piece.