About This Location
Step into this quieter corner of old Madrid and notice how the city changes. Just a few minutes from Plaza Mayor, the noise drops away and the atmosphere becomes much more intimate. This is the Monastery of Corpus Christi, better known as Las Carboneras - one of those places that feels hidden even when it stands in the middle of historic Madrid. Look at the simple façade. It does not try to impress with size or decoration. That restraint is part of its charm. The convent was founded in 1607 by Beatriz Ramírez de Mendoza, Countess of Castelar, for the Jeronymite nuns of Corpus Christi. Its popular name, Las Carboneras, comes from an image of the Virgin said to have been found in a coal yard and later given to the convent. The building was designed by Miguel de Soria in the early seventeenth century and is considered one of the early examples of Baroque architecture in Madrid. Inside, the church has a single nave with three sections, and the main chapel stands higher than the rest of the interior - a rare feature, and the only surviving example of this type in Madrid. It also preserves notable works of art, including the main altarpiece by Antón Morales and a painting of the Last Supper by Vicente Carducho. This stop is also loved for a very human reason. The nuns sell handmade sweets here, and that tradition has become one of the small legends of Madrid. The sales point is through the right-hand door, at the beginning of Calle del Codo. It is a lovely detail in a city often remembered for palaces and grand squares - behind these walls, old Madrid still survives in silence, prayer, and pastries.