In the outskirts of Pastrana, there is a convent and inn called the Convent of the Concepción Francisca, also referred to as the Convent of El Carmen (Guadalajara, Spain). It is situated close to the river Arlés valley to the south of the town.
It is one of the earliest instances of the Carmelite Order adhering to Teresa of Jesus' rules for austerity.
On June 10, 1569, Saint Teresa arrived at Pastrana. She traveled from Toledo after being contacted by Princess Ana de Mendoza of Eboli to establish a monastery of Discalced Carmelite nuns. Mariano Azzaro and Juan Narduch, two hermits who were interested in meeting Saint Teresa, came across her. They were suggested to become the first Discalced Carmelite friars by Saint Teresa.
Fray Ambrosio Mariano and Fray Juan de la Miseria adopted the Discalced Carmelite habit on July 9, 1569, at the chapel of the Ducal Palace, becoming the organization's first two friars. St. John of the Cross served as the novice master for a short time during those formative years.
The prince of Eboli, Ruy Gómez, had given the friars land to build their hermitage, San Pedro.
The hermitage, a dovecote, and the friars' lodging caves made up the original foundation. The convent and its church weren't constructed until the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th centuries.
The church was officially opened on January 20, 1600. The first structure was destroyed by a storm at the start of the 17th century, so the friars decided to construct a new one close by. In the 18th century, San Pedro's hermitage was again renovated.
The Discalced Carmelite nuns lived there up until Mendizábal's disentailment in 1836.
It was occupied by Franciscan Conceptionist nuns in 1855; today, it serves as their own convent, hotel, and Teresian museum. Originally, it served as a missionary seminary.
The church is the most outstanding feature of the entire monastery complex. Its simplicity is justified by the fact that the floor layout and the elevation of the walls are products of Carmelite effort. Its floor layout is designed like a hall and it has one nave. The undercroft is at the bottom, while the windows and cloister grilles are above it. Ashlars can be seen in the corners and upper cornice of the masonry walls.
Two sash arches supporting on pilasters in the altar area and on corbels hanging towards the foot divide the nave into three sections. The nave is covered with a half-barrel vault that is slightly lowered with lunettes for the windows. The well-designed entablature, whose frieze the foundation sign runs, serves as the foundation for the vault. There is a tall, hinged veneration that covers the apse. Plaster strips that connect low relief ovals and squares are used to embellish the parts of the nave. Each has a painted wooden calotte or keystone in the center.
The construction on the church was completed when the convent was already occupied by the Conceptionists, and was limited to adding greater richness to the inside, without affecting the exterior.