Temple and Arch of del Carmen

This construction, unique in Mexico, is considered part of the Chiapaneco Mudéjar sample collection due to its square floor plan with massive proportions, its ornamental applications in mortar and the octagonal wooden vault with an eight-pointed star, reminiscent of Islamic art paneling.

At the beginning of 1677, José Antonio de Torres, administrator of the Convent, asked the City Council of Ciudad Real for permission to build a bell tower, alleging that the Convent needed a tower for its bells; In order to do it, he needed it to be on the street in the Paso Real, which goes from the Plaza de la Ciudad to the Convent.

The nuns who lived there made such an investment, because the tower served as access to the convent rooms that were on the other side of the street, so that the nuns could go from one place to another without breaking the cloistered vow.

It is considered "The most striking Colonial Building in the City" and "one of the most remarkable and unique Monuments of the New World."

It is located at one end of the Ecclesiastical Walkway, framed by a Cultural Center, a peaceful square, and is a space for the arts.

*During the Colony this building had three main functions: At the bottom, the main Arch served as the City Gate. On the second level, the nuns could access the convent temple by going down the choir and served as a bell tower for the Convent Temple.