The earliest records of the convent of San Francisco (Avila) date from 1263, when a small community was established in the city. Hardly any remains of the primitive construction remain, among which the lower part of the apse of the church stands out (Moreno, 2024). During the 14th-16th centuries the convent achieved great fame, being chosen by part of the nobility of Avila as a burial place (López, 1998). The temple was full of tombs, altarpieces and paintings, many of which were auctioned or are currently dispersed in other institutions. The splendor of the convent came to an end at the beginning of the 19th century due to the arrival of French troops to the city and the consequences of the disentailments (Ruiz-Ayúcar, 1991).
Bibliography
LÓPEZ FERNÁNDEZ, María Teresa; DURALDE RODRÍGUEZ, José Ramón (2014): El convento de San Francisco de Ávila y su restauración, Diputación Provincial de Ávila e Institución Gran Duque de Alba, Ávila.
LÓPEZ, María Teresa (1998): "Datos para la historia de los conventos de Ávila. El convento de San Francisco", en Homenaje a Sonsoles Paradinas, coordinado por María Mariné y Elías Terés, Asociación de Amigos del Museo de Ávila, Ávila, pp. 147-151.