Convento de Santa Teresa

Lonely Planet review

The most interesting building in town is the noble, timeworn Convento de Santa Teresa. The city has hopes that the convent will be converted into a museum. At time of research, guided tours of the beautiful complex were being taken by students from the restoration school here. You see the peaceful cloister, fine altarpieces and sculptures (from Spanish and Potosí schools), the convent church, and even get to ascend to the roof.

The convent was founded in 1760, then destroyed in an earthquake; the new church was built with an excess of ambition, and was too big to be domed. The existing church was built inside it in 1790. There's still a Carmelite community here, but its 13 nuns are now housed in more comfortable modern quarters next door. It's a fascinating visit; pacing the convent's corridors, you could be in a García Márquez novel.