Convento de Santa Teresa

The most interesting building in town is the noble, timeworn Convento de Santa Teresa. Visits to this timeless and gracefully decaying complex are by guided tour only and provide a snapshot of the extraordinary lives led by the cloistered nuns that inhabit it. 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 for a glorious view over the city. 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 12 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.