This convent is the oldest in Archidona and was founded by the Count of Ureña, Juan Têllez Girón, on the XVII of March 1547 (though some documentation dates its construction in 1531).

Though Archidona’s Dominican community was extremely small, its church became the spiritual centre of the village. The War of Independence and, subsequently, Mendizábal’s Disentailment saw its patrimony become scattered and lost. The convent was definitively evacuated between 1835 and 1836, though the church remained open to worshippers for a further century.

Its impressive walls (built from masonry and brick) stand out above the neighbouring buildings. It is structured around a central patio, with the church to the side. Its sober faèade features an austere bell gable in the purest Dominican tradition.

The XX century saw it used for a variety of purposes: as a Dominican school, oil mill, pottery workshop, soap factory and, finally, a state school. After remaining closed for several years, it was restored and is now home to the Hotel Escuela.