Ever paused to consider the life of a saint on the move? Here at the Santa Teresa de Jesús Plaque, we commemorate a brief but significant stop in her journey. This plaque marks the spot where the Convent of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles once stood. Santa Teresa de Jesús stayed here in the spring of 1569.
Santa Teresa herself mentions this visit in her “Libro de las Fundaciones”. She recounts traveling to Madrid with her companions. They lodged at a Monastery of Franciscanas. A lady named Leonor Mascareñas had commissioned the monastery. She was once the King’s aya. The King was Felipe II. He had arrived at the Spanish court with Isabel of Portugal, wife of Emperor Charles V.
The convent was relatively new when Santa Teresa visited. It had been founded only four years prior. During her lifetime, she never established a convent for her Carmelite nuns in Madrid.
In 1617 disaster struck. The Convent of los Ángeles caught fire. The nuns knocked down a wall. This connected them to the Monjas de Santo Domingo. It gave them shelter in more rooms. The convent disappeared after its exclaustration in 1838. The nuns relocated to the Convento de Beatriz Galindo, la Concepción Francisca.
Santa Teresa’s short visit occurred in the spring of 1569. She was navigating the tough roads of the 16th century. Teresa was coming from founding her Toledo convent. She was heading to meet the Princess of Éboli. The princess resided in her Palacio de Pastrana. Teresa had a revelation. She needed to do something new for her female foundations. This led to the founding of the second convent of Barefoot Carmelite friars.
Santa Teresa was a saint. She was a doctor of the Church, a mystic, a writer, and a traveler. She once graced Madrid with her presence. This plaque serves as a reminder of her stay. It honors her remarkable life and contributions. The Santa Teresa de Jesús Plaque commemorates a moment in her tireless dedication to her calling.