The Dominican convent of Santo Tomás de Ávila was founded in this city thanks to the initiative of the nobleman Fernán Núñez Arnalte (?-1479), a figure linked to the court of the Catholic Monarchs. In his will, Fernán expressed his wish to establish a Dominican house in Ávila, which was to be dedicated to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
The founder died before his project could become a reality, so those in charge of promoting it were his wife, María Dávila, and Fray Tomás de Torquemada, then prior of the convent of Santa Cruz la Real in Segovia, with whom he had a very good relationship. The Dominican establishment obtained the corresponding approval of the Church in a bull granted by Pope Sixtus IV in 1480. In the end, it was Torquemada who took the initiative, with the help of Friar Alonso de Valisa, who finally took charge of the construction work. The Catholic Monarchs also contributed financially.
The construction of the house began in 1482. The fact that the convent was the seat of the Tribunal of the Inquisition has a special weight in the configuration of the convent spaces and their decoration. The church and the convent dependencies are developed around three cloisters: Novitiate, Silence and Kings, where a royal residence was located, although it was never used as such. Between 1576 and 1807, this sector was the seat of the University of Santo Tomás de Ávila and now contains the museums of Oriental Art and Natural Sciences, with pieces from the former cabinet of the General Study of the Dominican order, established in 1515.
As for the church, it is the work of Martín de Solórzano († 1506), a large construction with a single nave with side chapels, transept and the conventual choir at the foot of the nave. During the War of Independence, the place was occupied by the military and used as a hospital, at this time it already suffered significant property losses, which would later worsen with the exclaustration. It was abandoned from 1836 to 1863, when it was acquired and placed at the disposal of the bishopric that took charge of it, re-establishing the Dominican convent. Since 1973 it has been the seat of a parish, with the same dedication of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Despite the losses suffered, the convent of Santo Tomás still preserves an important collection of furnishings, including the main altarpiece (c1494) dedicated to Thomas Aquinas, the work of Pedro Berruguete, which was formerly accompanied by two other altarpieces by the same artist, now separated into separate pieces and kept in the Museo del Prado: the altarpiece of Saint Dominic and the altarpiece of Saint Peter of Verona. The tomb of the Infante Juan de Aragón (1478-1497), son of the Catholic Monarchs, also stands out. This is a monument in Carrara marble made between 1512 and 1513 by the Italian Domenico Fancelli. At the foot of the nave is the choir, which preserves a remarkable choir stall, the work of Martín Sánchez de Valladolid.
Unknown author, 19th century
Biblioteca Nacional de España
Tomb of John of Aragon, Domenico Fancelli (1512-13)
Tomb of John of Aragon, Domenico Fancelli (1512-13)
Tomb of John of Aragon, Domenico Fancelli (1512-13)
Tomb of John of Aragon, Domenico Fancelli (1512-13)
Choir
Choir
Novitiate cloister
Novitiate cloister
Novitiate cloister
Silence cloister
Silence cloister
Silence cloister
Silence cloister
Silence cloister
Silence cloister
Silence cloister
King's Cloister
King's Cloister
King's Cloister
King's Cloister
Drawing by Anton Van der Wyngaerde (1563)
Pedro Berruguete (1491-99)
Museo del Prado
Pedro Berruguete (1491-99)
Museo del Prado
Pedro Berruguete (1491-99)
Museo del Prado
Pedro Berruguete (1491-99)
Museo del Prado
Pedro Berruguete (1491-99)
Museo del Prado
Pedro Berruguete (1491-99)
Museo del Prado
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The convent is located southeast of the historic center of Ávila