• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CONVENT OF THE ANNUNCIATION

February 15, 2015 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

Alba de Tormes, Spain

The relatively unassuming Convent of the Annunciation in the picturesque town of Alba de Tormes in Central Spain is the site of the tomb of Teresa of Avila, one of only a handful of woman to be designated a Doctor of the Church and perhaps the greatest female theologian in Christian history.  The convent, one of a score that she founded, unexpectedly found itself in the saintly spotlight when Teresa died here while passing through the town.  It is now the most important Carmelite shrine in the world.  Alba De Tormes is currently witnessing the construction of a new basilica, an increasingly rare event, which will eventually house Teresa’s final resting place.

History

Teresa of Avila was one of the greatest female luminaries of the Roman Catholic Church, second perhaps only to Catherine of Sienna.  Her father’s family had been Jewish before being convertered to Christianity by the Spanish Inquisition, and after Teresa’s grandfather was condemned for backsliding, her mother made certain that she received a strong Christian educatation.  So great did the Christian teachings take hold of Teresa that she was inspired to seek martyrdom as early as the age of seven.  Thanks to an astute relative this did not come to pass, and Teresa lived to become a great figure of the Church.

Not surprisingly, Teresa found her calling as a Nun, and she became very well known for her devotions.  She also became known for her mystical practices, which were often frowned on by Church officials.  In her thirties and forties she was prone to mystic visions of Jesus, Mary and angels; she also began to practice self-mortification at this time.  After several years of such activities, Teresa began to pursue the Counter-Reformation work for which she would later become so famous.

In the 1560s, Teresa began work to establish new Carmelite convents in Spain.  Although she received support from some church officials, others condemned her ideas and her visions as heretical.  In the end, her efforts were supported by both the Papacy and the Spanish Crown, and she went on to found her own Carmelite Order.  During this period Teresa also established herself as a profound theologian and a prolific writer, perhaps the greatest female writer in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Teresa died in 1582 after having founded nearly twenty convents.  She passed away on the same day that Spain adopted the Gregorian calendar, so that her death is commemorated alternatively on October 5 and October 14.  Thirty-five years after her death, she was posthumously awarded a degree from the University of Salamanca.  Along with Catherine of Sienna, she was one of the first two women to be awarded the title of Doctor of the Church.  She was interred in the Convent of the Annunciation in Alba de Tormes where she died.

Visiting

The Convent of the Annunciation is somewhat innocuous from the outside.  Built of sand-colored brickwork, the main church is not overtly large, and by the standards of the time it was built the façade is relatively simple.  There are some sculptures and relief work around the main entrance, featuring angels, saints and coats of arms.  The church is flanked by a long wall which encloses the adjoining convent.  The overall impression of the exterior is that of simplicity and humility.

The interior of the church is somewhat more interesting.  The focal point is the niche in which Teresa of Avila is kept. Neither plain nor over-the-top, the shrine features beautiful paintings of the life of the saint.  Her corpse is buried under the main altar of the church.  It is brought out and paraded through the town on her feast day.

The Convent of the Annunciation is located near the old city center of Alba de Tormes, approximately 100 miles west of Madrid.  A larger basilica shrine is currently under construction there.  As of this writing no visitor information was available.  Web: www.villaalbadetormes.com (official tourism website of Alba de Tormes).

Other Sites

The Convent of the Annunciation is easily the tourism highlight of the town of Alba de Tormes.  Also worth a look is the Church of St. John of the Cross.  For those who seek more Teresa sites, perhaps the best is the Church of Santa Teresa in nearby Avila.  Avila has turned the entire month of October into one giant feast month in honor of the city’s favorite daughter and saint.

Filed Under: Gravesite Saint, Roman Catholic Tagged With: Spain/Portugal

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Comments

  1. John says

    January 8, 2018 at 11:46 pm

    Love your site!
    I am heading to Avila in a month on a personal pilgrimage and this is very helpful information!

    Reply
    • Howard Kramer says

      March 3, 2018 at 2:30 pm

      Thank you so much. Have a wonderful pilgrimage. Please let me know if any of my information is off!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.