The Historic Convent in Alicante Province to Become a Super Museum with Multi-purpose Chapel

The Clarisas convent is preparing to embark on "a new chapter". The historic building is set to become a cultural landmark with the imminent approval of the project that will allow for the tendering of its rehabilitation works.

This renovation project will transform the Clarisas into a cutting-edge super museum of the 21st century, while preserving its "conventual past", explained the Mayor of Elche, Pablo Ruz. Its various chambers and halls will become "not only the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Community", but also a public library and chapels with multiple uses.

Thus, the new life of the Clarisas in Elche will host various permanent and temporary exhibitions. Additionally, its upcoming rehabilitation will further enhance the Orange Tree Courtyard, "the direct connection of the Arab baths with the rest of the building".

In this way, the rehabilitation works will also incorporate the Gothic tracery vault into the chapel to "continue making this place an architectural witness to Elche's history over the last thousand years", Ruz remarked.

The drafting of the project will be put out to tender for a total of 405,000 euros, and the Consell will cover the building's rehabilitation works. The Mayor of Elche detailed that it is a comprehensive action for the conservation and restoration of the space and the launch of cultural milestones to "give it more life".

Following the renovation of the entrance in 2015, as well as the protection of the cloister's pavement and enclosures, the works will return in the coming months to the Clarisas of Elche - catalogued as a Site of Local Relevance - to carry out a "thorough intervention". The total area of the building's intervention is 1,975 square metres.