Segovia Dominican Nuns
Guest post by our Aspirant Hannah who has spent the last semester in Spain. A first-time visitor to the Spanish city of Segovia will likely find her eyes drawn to the Roman aqueduct – the longest surviving example of such in all of Europe. It is indeed impressive. She might later find herself praying inside the magnificent cathedral, or strolling through the historic cobblestoned streets to el Alcázar, or perhaps even to the tomb of St. John of the Cross. But unless she had known previously about the Dominicans' presence in Segovia, she probably wouldn't think to visit el Convento de Santa Cruz la Real, the first foundation of Dominican friars in Spain, nor el Monasterio de Santo Domingo el Real, established for the nuns in 1350.
Despite reaching the zenith of its power during the reign of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, the friars' convent today has been turned into an international university (although it is possible to tour the buildings and visit the Cave of St. Dominic). By God's grace, the nuns continue to exist in Segovia, maintaining a monastic presence near the very heart of the historic city. Here, the sisters contemplate the Word of God, providing a strong testimony of following the Lord.
The nuns of Segovia support themselves by making polychromatic figures, a catalogue of which can be viewed on their website at http://www.dominicas-segovia.dominicos.org/artesania.aspx. If you are interested in purchasing one of these statues, the nuns can be contacted by email (firstname.lastname@example.org) or by phone (921 46 00 80) – se habla español, and a limited amount of English.
Below are some pictures of the statues they make.