Convento de la Magdalena, Antequera, Spain

Convento de la Magdalena was a convent, now a hotel, situated to the southwest of the town of Antequera. The convent was established in 1570 by the merchant, Ildefonso Alvarez, who possessed an altarpiece of the Virgin Magdalena. Alvarez took refuge in the area's caves and lived like a hermit. In the following three years, he struggled to pay his debts and eventually attracted the attention of the Christian community who helped him. In 1585, construction started on a small chapel in the area.

In 1648 the place became renowned for the healing from the plague by Father Cardenas, a pastor of Seville who had journeyed to the little church. Fame and abundant alms sowed corruption among hermits. In 1685, the hermits were expelled by order of the Bishop of Málaga. The order of the Discalced Franciscans took over the management of the church in 1691 and began construction of the new convent. In 1761 the guardian of the convent was reported to be Fr. Juan Gomez. The convent was abandoned in the mid-19th century.

In 2009, the convent underwent a careful restoration and became a five star hotel that left many of the original features of the Franciscan convent. Many frescoes still remain on the arched ceilings and walls.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Karen Rolph (2 years ago)
Beautiful quiet location with pool and spa facilities. Great food luxurious bathroom and bedroom. Highly recommended

Francisco Javier Alvarez Granado (2 years ago)
They have good facilities for any kind of events but it is far away from the road deep in the mountain. I think is good for private meeting, incentives,

Luc De Block (2 years ago)
exceptional place, beautiful location wirh views on Torcal mountains , old restaured mon nastry, good for hiking, golf, cycling. excellent breakfast buffet, spacious rooms. Nice interior swimmingpool with jacuzzi and sauna. Dinner a bit dissapointing and too expensive in proportion to quality

Luc de block (2 years ago)
very cosy, special, place, old monastery, with its own little museum and chapel. Rooms fantastic, especially upstairs . Location superb if one likes an insulated place in nature. Food less, certainly in proportion to price, although breakfast is great an varied . Great spa with sauna and covered swimming pool, miss the fitness room though. Nice garden looking at the great Thorcal mountain range also visible from the breakfast, lunch, dining area. Recommended. Go there often. Has a very special and unique character . Amen

Max Carvalho (3 years ago)
It's a nice place to stay. Pros: Beautiful sightseeing, friendly services, spacious and clean rooms. Cons: A bit expensive taking in consideration the prices around Antequera. The hotel could be more modern. The room can be noisy if you want to sleep til bit later.

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Royal Palace of Naples was one of the four residences near Naples used by the Bourbon Kings during their rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1734-1860): the others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples, and the third Portici, on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, count of Lemos. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo, Giovanni Balducci, and Belisario Corenzio. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of Assumption was not completed until 1644 by Antonio Picchiatti.

In 1734, with the arrival of Charles III of Spain to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony in 1738, Francesco De Mura and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a 'new wing' was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to Reggia of Caserta, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of Gaetano Genovese. Further additions of a Party Wing and a Belvedere were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo.

In 1922, it was decided to transfer here the contents of the National Library. The transfer of library collections was made by 1925.

The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

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