La instauración de la orden de Santa Clara en Cartagena fue posible gracias a doña Catalina de Cabrera quien al morir dejó un legado destinado a la construcción de un convento de clarisas. Queriendo el gobernador y el obispo apropiarse de la herencia para destinarla a otros usos, fueron los hermanos franciscanos ya establecido en la ciudad y bajo cuya jurisdicción estaban tradicionalmente las clarisas, los que intercedieron ante la Santa Sede enviando a fray Guillén de Peraza hasta Roma para asegurar que la construcción se llevará a cabo como se pedía en el testamento. Él mismo arribaría al puerto de Cartagena en el año de 1607 acompañado por tres religiosas del convento de Santa Inés de Sevilla para llevar a cabo la fundación. A parte de la donación de doña Catalina se hizo necesaria la contribución del padre de una novicia del convento, que temporalmente se había establecido en una casa sobre la Calle de la Cruz, para terminar la construcción. El convento recibiría a las primeras clarisas en el año de 1621, fecha de su inauguración.
El edificio, cuyo diseño se atribuye al maestro Simón González, fue muestra fiel a la tendencia de austeridad y sobriedad que establecía la Iglesia hasta mediados del siglo XIX cuando ocurre la exclaustración definitiva del convento y el edificio sufre varias reformas. La configuración, la distribución y la forma de los elementos, son casi idénticos a la mayoría de los claustros conventuales de la época. La iglesia de una sola nave, tiene una planta rectangular y un arco toral que limita al presbiterio, apoyado con contrafuertes exteriores. Al lado opuesto se hallaba el coro aislado con una reja de celosía y en el sotocoro se construyó en 1774 una cripta para sepultar a las monjas abadesas. Como el convento se encontraba frente al mar abierto, era blanco de las olas cada vez que se desataba una tempestad, de esta manera los muros del convento sufrieron innumerables daños hasta finales del siglo XVIII, momento en el cual se consolidaron definitivamente las murallas que arman el frente del convento sobre el mar. El decreto de expropiación de bienes de manos muertas expedido en 1862 implicó el fin de los conventos de clausura.
Santa Clara se destinó en un primer lugar a penitenciaría, uso que trajo consigo el deterioro de buena parte del convento, y en 1884 se convirtió en la sede del Hospital de Caridad a cargo de las monjas de la Presentación del convento de Santa Teresa. Las dependencias del hospital se instalaron en la parte del claustro mejor conservada como eran las crujías del patio trasero, antiguo huerto. El claustro central se destinaría despues de su reparación a una escuela y casa de huérfanos. Las obras de reconstrucción y reparación al estilo republicano le dieron al convento una nueva imagen. En 1919 el arquitecto francés Gastón Lelarge fue contratado para realizar una serie de intervenciones sobre el costado de la Calle del Curato y el cuerpo central del convento. Luego, en 1920 el ingeniero Simón Gómez reformó el tercer piso y la portada sobre la Calle del Torno. Finalmente, hacia los años cincuenta se construyó un anfiteatro y se hizo una ampliación del tercer piso sobre la crujía central. El hospital fue trasladado a Zaragocilla en 1974. Desde 1983 se repartieron el edificio, mientras este se iba acercando cada vez más a la ruina, algunas dependencias de medicina legal, algunas aulas de la facultad de medicina de la Universidad de Cartagena, algunos talleres de la Escuela de Bellas Artes y las oficinas de la liga Departamental de Beisbol. El edificio fue restaurado en los años noventa y es ahora sede de un hotel, el Hotel Santa Clara.
ENGLISH
The establishment of the Order of Santa Clara in Cartagena was made possible by Catalina de Cabrera, who at death left a legacy for the construction of a convent of Poor Clares. Wanting the governor and the bishop appropriate inheritance for uses other were the Franciscan brothers already established in the city and under whose jurisdiction were traditionally the Poor Clares, who interceded with the Holy See sent to Brother Guillen Peraza to Rome to ensure that the construction will take place as called for in the will. He would arrive at the port of Cartagena in 1607, accompanied by three nuns of the Convent of Santa Ines de Sevilla to carry out the foundation. Besides donating Catalina became the father's contribution required of a novice of the convent, which had been established temporarily in a house on Calle de la Cruz, to complete construction. The convent would receive the first Poor Clares in the year of 1621, the date of its inauguration.The building, whose design is attributed to the master Simon Gonzalez, was true to the trend shows austerity and sobriety which established the Church until the mid-nineteenth century secularization occurs permanent convent and the building has undergone several reforms. The configuration, distribution and shape of the elements are almost identical to most of the convent cloisters of the time. The church has a single nave, has a rectangular plan and a arch that limits the chancel, supported by external buttresses.Opposite the choir was isolated with a lattice grid and in the choir loft was built in 1774 a crypt for the burial of nuns abbesses. As the convent was facing the open sea, was the target of the waves every time a storm was raging, so the convent walls suffered extensive damage to the late eighteenth century, at which definitively consolidated the walls that assemble the front of the convent on the sea. The decree of expropriation of property in mortmain issued in 1862 meant the end of cloistered convents.Santa Clara went first to a prison, a use which resulted in the deterioration of much of the convent, and in 1884 became the headquarters of the Charity Hospital by the Sisters of the Presentation Convent of Santa Teresa. The hospital units were installed in the cloister of the best preserved as were the corridors of the backyard, old orchard. The central cloister would be used after repairs to a school and home for orphans. The reconstruction and repair Republican style gave the convent a new image. In 1919 the French architect Gastón Lelarge was hired to perform a series of interventions on the side of the Street of the Parish and the main body of the convent. Then in 1920 the engineer Simon Gomez renovated the third floor and the cover on the Calle del Torno.Finally, toward the fifties an amphitheater was built and became an extension of the third floor above the central bay. The hospital was transferred to Zaragocilla in 1974. Since 1983 they divided the building, while it was moving closer to ruin, some forensic units, some classrooms of the faculty of medicine at the University of Cartagena, some workshops of the School of Fine Arts and offices Departmental League Baseball. The building was restored in the nineties and now houses a hotel, the Hotel Santa Clara.
ENGLISH
The establishment of the Order of Santa Clara in Cartagena was made possible by Catalina de Cabrera, who at death left a legacy for the construction of a convent of Poor Clares. Wanting the governor and the bishop appropriate inheritance for uses other were the Franciscan brothers already established in the city and under whose jurisdiction were traditionally the Poor Clares, who interceded with the Holy See sent to Brother Guillen Peraza to Rome to ensure that the construction will take place as called for in the will. He would arrive at the port of Cartagena in 1607, accompanied by three nuns of the Convent of Santa Ines de Sevilla to carry out the foundation. Besides donating Catalina became the father's contribution required of a novice of the convent, which had been established temporarily in a house on Calle de la Cruz, to complete construction. The convent would receive the first Poor Clares in the year of 1621, the date of its inauguration.The building, whose design is attributed to the master Simon Gonzalez, was true to the trend shows austerity and sobriety which established the Church until the mid-nineteenth century secularization occurs permanent convent and the building has undergone several reforms. The configuration, distribution and shape of the elements are almost identical to most of the convent cloisters of the time. The church has a single nave, has a rectangular plan and a arch that limits the chancel, supported by external buttresses.Opposite the choir was isolated with a lattice grid and in the choir loft was built in 1774 a crypt for the burial of nuns abbesses. As the convent was facing the open sea, was the target of the waves every time a storm was raging, so the convent walls suffered extensive damage to the late eighteenth century, at which definitively consolidated the walls that assemble the front of the convent on the sea. The decree of expropriation of property in mortmain issued in 1862 meant the end of cloistered convents.Santa Clara went first to a prison, a use which resulted in the deterioration of much of the convent, and in 1884 became the headquarters of the Charity Hospital by the Sisters of the Presentation Convent of Santa Teresa. The hospital units were installed in the cloister of the best preserved as were the corridors of the backyard, old orchard. The central cloister would be used after repairs to a school and home for orphans. The reconstruction and repair Republican style gave the convent a new image. In 1919 the French architect Gastón Lelarge was hired to perform a series of interventions on the side of the Street of the Parish and the main body of the convent. Then in 1920 the engineer Simon Gomez renovated the third floor and the cover on the Calle del Torno.Finally, toward the fifties an amphitheater was built and became an extension of the third floor above the central bay. The hospital was transferred to Zaragocilla in 1974. Since 1983 they divided the building, while it was moving closer to ruin, some forensic units, some classrooms of the faculty of medicine at the University of Cartagena, some workshops of the School of Fine Arts and offices Departmental League Baseball. The building was restored in the nineties and now houses a hotel, the Hotel Santa Clara.
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