From convent to hotel: seven centuries of living history
This building, dating back to 1373, was originally the San Agustín Convent of Haro, founded by Clara López de Haro after the mediation of her father, Diego, before Sancho of Castile. It initially welcomed ten friars from the Royal Monastery of San Agustín in Burgos. The convent once owned vast lands and numerous properties, until it was closed in 1835 during the confiscations of Mendizábal. Since then, the building has served as a military garrison, hospital, prison, theatre and, today, as a hotel.
The façade stands out for its ashlar masonry and the two coats of arms flanking the main balcony. Inside, the heart of the complex is a three-storey Renaissance cloister with tall semicircular arches.
As a plaque recalls, in 1809, during the Napoleonic War, the monument was converted into a military garrison. Later, in 1811, it became a military hospital. In 1839, after the confiscation, it was used as a municipal prison —inscriptions by former inmates can still be seen on the cloister’s columns—; afterwards, it housed a theatre and, since 1989, it has been operating as a hotel.