Picture this. You stand before La Concepcion a church in Mexico City’s bustling downtown. This isn’t just any church. It’s the remnant of a once-grand convent. La Concepcion was the largest and richest nunnery in all of Mexico City. Imagine its bustling life centuries ago.
La Concepcion’s story begins with conquistador Andrés de Tapia. He generously donated the land for the convent’s founding. Bishop Juan de Zumárraga oversaw its creation. The foundation date is officially 1530. However papal approval wasn’t granted until 1586. The original structure suffered greatly during the devastating 1629 flood.
The convent’s rebuilding was a monumental undertaking. Tomás de Aguirre y Suasnaba spearheaded the effort. Following his death Simón de Haro completed the project. The rebuilt La Concepcion was finished on October 28 1655. Its importance grew significantly. On July 16 1760 it officially became a Royal Convent. It served as the “mother house” for Conceptionist nuns throughout New Spain. Nuns from La Concepcion went on to establish other convents. These included convents in Puebla de los Ángeles Mérida and even as far as Santiago de Guatemala.
Before the Reform laws La Concepcion was incredibly wealthy. It owned 132 urban properties. The convent complex covered a massive area about one and a half city blocks. Sadly the Reform led to its suppression in 1861. The nuns were dispersed. The land was sold and divided. Today little remains of the extensive convent. A middle school now occupies a small part of the former cloister. Parking lots and houses fill the rest of the space. The church of La Concepcion stands as a powerful testament to a rich and complex past. It is a reminder of the convent’s once immense influence on religious life in Mexico City and beyond.