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.

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Details

Founded: 1570
Category: Religious sites in Spain

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Arjun Rajeev (15 months ago)
The venue is just beautiful.Such a picturesque place, have been here to attend a function. Would defend recommend.
Natalie Hough (18 months ago)
Such a beautiful place just for a couple drinks. Beautiful surroundings. Will definitely be back.
Maria S (Elmundoconmarisa) (18 months ago)
Lovely hotel “in the middle of nowhere” as one might say as it is located in the old convent building. If not for the road signs I would have turned around thinking I am lost in the mountains… No idea why the hotel is ranked 5*… Rooms are big but have no robes and even when I asked for one at the reception I was told I could not get any as I am not staying in their junior-suite. They do have a spa but it is very small and very outdated. The sauna looked so bad that I had to put a towel in the bench. It then got so duty that I had to look for a spare towel but unfortunately they only proved you with one towel per day… Our room (#205) had a terrible canalization smell in it. I could actually only sleep with the toilet door shut and the windows wide open… Breakfast was good though and the lady that serves is it charming and inviting. All in all would probably be decent for just an overnight stay but not for the price they charge. We paid €522 for 3 nights for two people (rate with breakfast) Btw we also had dinner there as the hotel is so far from the town you do not dance to go anywhere. Food was beautifully presented but really mediocre tasting to say the least and the service extremely slow… I am not coming back for sure!
Nina Kite (2 years ago)
Being a 5 star hotel I'm looking for faults.... but I couldn't find any!! The staff were wonderful and helpful, bedding was comfy, everything works as it should.
Keith Stevenson (2 years ago)
If you are anywhere nearby, stay here. Great hotel, great spa, enjoyed the restaurant. Easy to understand their 5* rating.
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