Convent or monastery La Concepció

The Augustinian nuns had to leave their convent on the Mountain of Pollença, due to the application of the regulations of the Council of Trent. And as a consequence of the confiscatory measures, the monastery of the Concepción was also joined by nuns of the same order who had been evicted from the Santa Margalida convent, in the city. These events made for an enrichment of the monastic treasure with pieces from the evacuated convents, turning the Concepción monastery into an authentic museum. In the 1940s the architect Gabriel Alomar Esteve restored the façade, remembering a Gothic stately home in the same street that disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century. This renovation work gave the front of the building its current appearance. The conservation of the different access doorways, the gallery with its mullioned windows or coronelles on the main floor – a copy of the originals – and the gargoyles bear witness to the construction techniques of the Gothic era. 

Outstanding from amongst the artistic heritage is the large altarpiece from the Mountain of Pollença, part of the predella from the main altarpieces, several tombs of abbesses of Santa Margalida and the altarpiece of Santa Catalina of Alexandria. The monastery also houses a rich archive with important documents. The fourth chapel in the church contains the image of the ‘Sant Crist del Noguer’, a beautiful 16th-century carving that has a popular following. The image was transferred to La Concepción from the Convent of Santa Margalida in the early 19th century. According to tradition, the ‘Sant Crist’ image was found inside a walnut tree, just when it was about to be cut down to make the figure. The church and Convent of La Concepción were declared Assets of Cultural Interest in the year 2007.