Culture, tradition and innovation in the reuse of the monastic architecture of the city of Valencia

From the 13th century, with the Christian reconquest, several monasteries were built within the original fortified perimeter of the city of Valencia. Over time, most of them were abandoned and demolished to make way for new buildings. Fortunately, some of them had several stratifications and uses that prevented their demolition. The work illustrates the transformations and reuses of two adjacent monastic complexes in the ancient Carmen district: the Real Monasterio de Nuestra Senora del Carmen dating back to 1281 and the Convent of St. Joseph and St. Theresa built at the end of the 16th century. In the 19th century, the firts one became the Museum of Fine Arts and the seat of the Royal Academy de Bellas Artes and the School of Fine Arts and Crafts. In 1983 the Carmen Monastery was declared a National Historical Artistic Monument and today it is the Carmen Centre, a centre of contemporary culture that hosts a wide range of artistic languages and practices. The convent of St. Joseph and St. Teresa was abandoned by monks in 2007 and currently houses the cultural and leisure center Convent Carmen. Both case studies show how the pre-existing religious architectural heritage can become containers of culture able to promote the sustainable development of metropolitan cities.