Thanks to donations from various individuals, the convent was built in several phases.
The donation by “Sister María Beatriz Antonia de Cristo Arrue,” daughter of a knight of the Order of Santiago who had amassed wealth in Quito (Ecuador) in the 17th century, was decisive for future constructions such as the church, new dormitories, rooms, and cloisters.
The convent complex holds great significance within the architectural landscape of its time. The church’s floor plan is a rectangle inscribed with a Latin cross. The choir is situated at the foot of the altar, occupying two bays; the nave is vaulted with barrel vaults featuring lunettes, and the transept is crowned with a half-dome supported by pendentives.
MAIN ALTARPIECE: 18th century. Baroque–Rococo. Designated a Historic-Artistic Monument.
The Immaculate Conception is the most notable image in the ensemble. The altarpiece was created by Fray Jacinto Sierra and Fray Esteban López and funded by the brothers Martín and Juan Antonio de Lardizabal y Elorza at the expense of their sisters residing in the convent, Sister María de San José and Sister María Antonia de San Miguel. The gilder and painter, a resident of Zumárraga, was Jose Maria Anson.
Until 2022, the Conceptionist nuns live in cloistered seclusion.