On a recent Javea Walk with a nice group, we were lucky enough to find the large metal doors of the Convento de los Mínimos chapel open. This chapel was originally built in 1616. After its destruction, it was rebuilt in 1946 especially for the Augustinian nuns in Xàbia (Jávea), who had lost their convent and chapel in the town centre when they were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
I was particularly excited because I have lived here for over 20 years and have been leading walking tours of the town for 15 years, and these doors had never been open when I passed by. I took the opportunity to have a look inside.
As I had already surmised, it was a breathtaking sight. The chapel has round Renaissance barrel vaults with continuous semi-circular arches that extend to the front, resembling half a cylinder. This style, one of the simplest vaulting forms, was often used in Renaissance architecture to emphasise symmetry and grandeur.
The altar clearly represents the Augustinian cult, with a prominent depiction of the Virgin and Child in the centre. The tie on her gown, on one side, connects to Saint Augustine, who wears the robes of a bishop. He wears a chasuble, an elaborate liturgical vestment that symbolises his role as a bishop, and a mitre, a tall, pointed hat that stands for spiritual authority and leadership within the church. At his feet is his crosier (pastoral staff), symbolising his role as spiritual shepherd of his flock, and a book representing his profound theological works such as the Confessions and The City of God.
The ribbon of the Virgin's robe extends to the other side, where a devoted nun is depicted, symbolising the nuns who inhabited the convent until 2004.
On the sides of the church are niches with wonderful polychrome statues, sculptures painted in several colours to enhance their realism and emotional impact. One of these statues is Christ the Teacher, who is depicted with his hands at his side and his palms facing upwards. This posture conveys his openness to receive and give and symbolises his role as a mediator between humanity and God. His brown robe, an artistic choice, symbolises humility, simplicity and the earthly nature of Christ. The colour brown symbolises the human condition and the earth itself, especially in the context of monastic life.
Another statue represents Saint Rita of Cascia (1381–1457), an Augustinian nun and one of the most venerated saints of the Augustinian order.
At the entrance to the chapel is a polychrome depiction of the crucified Christ with the inscription INRI above his head:
- Iesus: Jesus (the Latin form of the name)
- Nazarenus: From Nazareth (reference to his home town)
- Rex: King
- Iudaeorum: Of the Jews (referring to the Jewish people)
This inscription, originally intended by the Roman authorities to mock Jesus, sarcastically declared him "King of the Jews" when he was crucified as a criminal. For Christians, however, this title confirms Jesus' divine kingship, despite the mocking intentions of the Roman officials.
HISTORY OF THE CONVENT
The Order of the Minims, founded by St Francis of Paola in the 15th century, is a Roman Catholic religious order characterised by its emphasis on extreme humility, asceticism and a life of penance. The Minim friars were the first vegans, known for their fourth vow, abstaining from all animal products, including dairy products and eggs, to embody a life of complete abstinence. Their spiritual focus was on a deep personal humility and devotion to God, which they often expressed through acts of charity and teaching.
In Xàbia (Jávea), the Convento de los Mínimos, officially called the Convent of Our Lady of Victory and St Francis of Paola, was founded in 1616 through a donation from Lluc Espanyol, a devout local resident. The convent became an integral part of the town, fuelling urban and demographic growth in the surrounding area. It had a two-storey Renaissance-style cloister, 25 very small rooms or cells, several offices, a kitchen, a library, a medical clinic, washrooms, a cemetery and a garden and a chapel with a tosca-stone façade.
However, the convents fate changed with the desamortización laws of the 19th century, which targeted properties of monasteries and convents with the aim to fund the Carlist Wars and reduce the Church’s influence.
After this event, the Order of the Minims returned to Italy or relocated to other surviving monasteries throughout Europe. The convent was ceded to the local government in 1841 and repurposed for schools, a prison and other civilian uses.
The convent was eventually destroyed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. It remained a pile of rubble, left for children to play in the remaining corridors, rooms and courtyard, until the Archbishop of Valencia asked for it to be rebuilt and used as a convent for the Augustinian nuns in 1946.
Former Minim convent courtyard / cloister. 1920s. (Private Archive)
Former Augustinian convent. 1920s. (Private Archive)
Discalced Augustinians. 1930s. (Fons Benavent. Municipal Archive of Xàbia)
The nuns rejoiced at this announcement and were seen eagerly hauling cement to the building site. Many people from the town helped with the construction, including the farm workers who helped remove the Tosca stones from the harbour area. After the reconstruction, many locals volunteered to maintain the site. The nuns were known for their baking of wonderful cakes that they sold through the main gate.
One of the many stories told at the time was about a tower that was added to the convent because one of the nuns complained that she could not see the sea. This complaint fell on the ears of the finance minister at the time, Mariano Rubio. He ordered the construction of a tower inside the convent from which it is possible to view the city and the sea.
The departure of the nuns meant the end of the religious use of the building, but the chapel is still a place of worship. The main building of the convent was restored in 2008 by the city council and reopened as a nursing home for the elderly, run by the Hermanitas de los Ancianos Desamparados (Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly).
SpainLifestyle.com
