Habsburg and Bourbon Spain
Ávila
Today: Spain
- Years
- 1492–1833
- Role
- Walled city of Saint Teresa
Under the Reyes Católicos, Carlos I and Felipe II the city revived thanks to the comings and goings of the court; its council was one of the main organisers of the War of the Comunidades. From the late 16th century it fell into a long decline: the plague of 1599 took almost 12% of the population and the expulsion of the Moriscos, in 1609, affected 13.8%. Saint Teresa of Jesus founded her first convent there in 1562, and the Real Fábrica de Algodón was set up in 1788.
What to see today
- Convento de San José (Carmelitas Descalzas) (Convento de San José): Monastery, 1562 to 1607
- Capilla de Mosén Rubí: Church, 16th century
- Palacio de los Velada (Torre de los Aboín) (Mansión de los Velada): Palace, c. 1501 to 1533
- Catedral de Ávila (Catedral del Salvador): Cathedral, 1514 to 1547
- Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás: Monastery, 1494 to 1512
- Convento de la Encarnación: Monastery, 1630 to 1715
- Iglesia de San Martín: Church, c. 1700 to 1705
- Portada del Hospital de Santa Escolástica (Hospital de Santa Escolástica): Hospital, c. 1501 to 1510
- Basílica de Santa Teresa de Jesús (Iglesia-convento de Santa Teresa): Church, c. 1601 to 1636