Museo de Arte Religioso Ex Convento Santa Monica, Puebla

Museo de Arte Religioso Ex Convento Santa Mónica occupies a former women’s convent with origins in the 17th century. It began as a charitable refuge and later became a convent for Augustinian Recollect nuns under Bishop Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz in 1688. According to local tradition, his preserved heart remains in a museum niche, reflecting his close bond with the community.

The site is also known for one of the more unusual episodes in Mexican religious history. After anti-clerical laws restricted convent life, the nuns lived here in secrecy for decades, helped by rented rooms and trusted families. This hidden arrangement ended in 1934, when investigator Valente Quintana discovered it. Inside, the torno, a revolving window for receiving supplies, still reflects the rules of cloistered life.

Visitors can explore courtyards, choir spaces, cells, the kitchen, and the refectory, all showing how religious discipline shaped daily life. The Patio de Profesas features petatillo tilework, with Talavera tiles and brick arranged like woven mats. The collection includes sacred art, devotional objects, textiles, and Rafael Morante’s oil paintings on velvet. The convent is also linked to the 1821 legend of chiles en nogada.