From 1519 through 1556, Charles V amassed an enormous geographical empire while the King of the Romans, Italy and Spain. After abdicating his rule and wealth, he retired to a monastery in Extremadura, Spain. Meanwhile, his second daughter Joanna established this Convent of Las Descalzas Reales in 1559. In order to join the Order of Saint Clare, women were required to forfeit their dowry. The resulting riches were spent on religious artifacts. Although a few nuns still live in the convent, it was transformed into a museum in 1960.
