el museo de las conceptas

Raxe_201

I was really looking forward to this museum nonetheless everytime I tried to visit it, surprisingly it was closed, according to the opening time posted outside the closed door it was supposed to be open by that time. Really disappointed.

Footsac

Cuenca, like most south American centres, has a very strong church presence. This working convent is in restoration and so part of the complex is open to the public as a museum.The displays show the traditional catholic trappings, but their is also a poignant display of the toys brought to the convent, by the 12 year old novitiates as they started their forced career as a nun. Well presented and self guided.

235cliffa

It felt like walking through the doors from the street to the inside of the building that you left the world outside. I'm so happy we made the decision to tour the cloister and see just how the "Conceptas" lived their lives through the articles on display. I wish some of the cloisters in Europe were more open to bring outsiders in like El Museo de Las Conceptas is. Amazing.

G8167IMjohnc

This is a very good tour that a lot of people aren't aware of. A lot of beautiful artwork and a very passionate guide who speaks Spanish slowly and clearly enough so that my limited ethanol could understand. The tour also covers the typical living quarters of early monastery life in Loja. A great tour guide makes for a great tour and admission is free. Just be sure to have a copy of your passport to enter.

BudaBaB

We have been here multiple times on different trips. Each time we notice something different or just refresh our memories. It does make me feel good that the $2.50 entry is used to maintain a historic building. Aside from the religious art, there is a peek into the lives of the nuns who lived here. What always makes us gasp is the fact that girls as young as 12 years old could join the convent, even bringing their toys with them. One develops real insight into the life of religious and the proselytizing of Catholicism. If nothing else, the garden and sitting on the balcony are incredibly relaxing.

bonnie889

There were the expected themed paintings here but they also had many items that were very well done without the religious overtones. Soft music played throughout the facility and it was very peaceful.

KarenfromChicago

Around 1580, this convent was established in Cuenca. Sometime later, a wealthy senora donated her family's home--the largest house in Cuenca--to the convent, on the occasion of her 3 daughters joining the order. With a trip to this museum, we get to see the structure of the old home, as well as the religious art and personal items of the nuns. The art is mostly anonymous, much of it primitive, with paintings, wooden statues, and figures dressed in embroidered clothes. There is a huge Christmas diorama, filled with figures--a gaudy elaboration of the small creche boxes one sees for sale. One room includes some small, wooden toys that the young novices brought with them when they entered. the convent.Thirty nuns still live a cloistered life, adjacent to the museum.For $2.50, this museum is a bargain.

flcazev

Very interesting exposition of the daily activities of a female contemplative monastery, showing habits, work, relationships, furniture and artifacts used.

MusicologistPL

The museum allows visitors to feel how it was like to live in a convent like this in the XVIII and XIX century. Unfortunately some parts of the convent are still closed (e.g., the refectory with a historical mural) but the rest is worth paying a 45-60 min visit.

D0rian1

The museum is located in an old house with beautiful atrium, an old nunnery, I believe. It displays mainly antiques, typical artisan workings and arqueological pieces.

430davel

This former convent has been converted into a museum. It contains many rooms with beautiful sculptures and paintings. Admission was only $2 or $2.50 and it takes about an hour to see everything at a leisurely pace., 45 minutes if you are in a hurry.There is nothing that I disliked, really. I mean, it is not a luxurious museum; you must consider it is an old wooden structure, but very well worth your time.

sanguinewanderer

This is a great museum filled with lovely art - both contemporary and historical. A very quiet and hidden treasure in Cuenca, a delightful place to visit!!! I enjoyed the history and the displays - very fine!

dscarlett45

I felt like I was stepping back in time. The displays were beautiful, the courtyards picturesque & the signs informative. Learned a lot about colonial life. Not fancy, but worth the visit. Photography allowed.

Travelgal2727

If you have any interest in religious art at all, you must visit this comprehensive and well thought out museum.

bs08mnb

A really nice little collection of art work and sculptures which gives an interesting insight into the history of the monastery and life there. Doesn't take long to visit but open on a Sunday unlike most other museums in Cuenca. Recommended