Alcántara - Spain

A postcard from Spain sent by Paula showing San Benito Covent in Alcántara, a city in the province of Cáceres, very close to the portuguese border. 

© fotografia: Noel Vega

The construction of the convent began in 1505 and lasted for most of the 16th century. The Order of Alcántara main architect, Pedro de Ybarra, worked on the design.

In 1706, it was sacked during the War of Spanish Succession, and it was damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In 1835, it was abandoned and began to fall into ruin. Later it was acquired by Hidroeléctrica Española, which restored it and occupied the structure until 1966. In 1985 it went to the Fundación San Benito de Alcántara. - in: wikipedia