Nuestra Señora del MilagroEstudio sociológico de un convento contestano

Abstract

The Convent of Nuestra Señora del Milagro was founded by Doña Antonia Ruizde Corella, the last countess of that Family. The monastery is situated in Cocentaina (North ofAlicante). The date of its foundation was 1654, and it had been made with the aim that the nunswould act as guardians for the image of Our Lady. This image had been given as a present bythe Pope to the first Cocentaina count.The documents found in the National Historic Archive of Madrid have allowed us tocarry out an informative survey of the patterns of entry and profession among the nuns of theConvent. This study deals with several sociological topics in connection with the nuns thatlived in the monastery until 1834. We have been able to know their names, the ages at whichthey took up orders, when they professed, who their parents were, and even some of the posi-tions of responsibility in the convent, especially those of the different abbesses..The Convent of Nuestra Señora del Milagro was not a very rich monastery, but itdid have sufficient means to cope and to survive from 1654 until the present. Today it is stillpossible to visit the monastery situated beside the castle of the Count of Cocentaina .