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Convento das Bernardas was the first female convent in the Algarve and the one that lasted the longest. Founded in the late 15th century by King D. Manuel I, it was only extinguished in the 19th century. Its original name is Convent of Nossa Senhora da Piedade.
The planning of its construction goes back to the reign of King D. João II (1481-1495), who dreamed that a female convent would be
installed in the Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Tavira. In 1495, in the reign of King D. Manuel I, its construction was ordered by a royal letter.
In 1509, in the early 16th century, it became official, but it wasn´t until 1528 that its construction was completed, ready to receive the nuns of Saint Clare. These, however, never came here to dwell, because a Convent of Clarissas was founded, in Faro. The building was eventually handed over to the Order of Cister.
Its building is in Atalaia, 500 meters away from the male monastery, thus ensuring that the norms of separation of the sexes were respected. The designation "Bernardas" comes from St. Bernard of Claraval, one of the most important members responsible for the reform of the Cistercian order.
On the 13th January 1862, after the Liberal Revolution in which the religious orders were extinguished, the convent was nationalized. There is a funny story about this moment, because the last nun, D. Cândida Clara de Assis, "was taking too long to die" so she was forced to decide wether to be transferred to a convent in Beja or "(...) to live in a decent house in Tavira ..." ". Mother Abbess ended up choosing the second option, as it can be seen in document PT / TT / MF-DGFP / E / 002/00049 of Torre do Tombo.
The first and the last nunnery in The Algarve
Nowadays, the nunnery is a residential block
The Nuns Bernardas
Fontes / Sources: Marado, Catarina, A presença cistercience no espaço urbano: o caso de antigo Convento das Bernardas de Tavira, acessível em / retrieved from https://bit.ly/2GX4W1Z, acedido em/ on 14/3/2018
Inventário de extinção do convento de Nossa Senhora da Piedade de Tavira de Faro, aceessível em / retrieved fom
https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/details?id=4224394, , acedido em /on 14/03/2018 ( PT/TT/MF-DGFP/E/002/00049 (1862)
https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/details?id=4224394