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History

The Monastery of Santa Clara has also oc–

cupied three sites. It was first constructed in

what is now the little plaza of the Nazaren s the

present site of the college of the Madres Salesia–

nas; there it remained until the early part of the

17th century, when it was given a site in Chakil–

chaca, fronting the parish house of Santiago, but

the edifice was not built on account of various

difficulties. Finally

\Vas erected where it stands

today. For the first

const~uction

the conqueror

Jerónimo Castillo contributed

generously and

was declared its benefactor and conceded the

cript of the chance!

or his sepulchce, as was then

the custom.

e last construction, at least insofar

as that p rtru ing to the temple, was made pos–

sible by th_e generosity of a noble woman named

Beatriz Villegas, at the begirrning of the 17th

Century. This church was not destroyed _by, the

earthquake of 1650-only

the convent. This

church and the cathedral were the only build–

ings saved from that catastrophe.

Style

It is superbly decorated in the style of the

Renaissance.

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