The Church of Nosa Señora da Mercé de Conxo dates back to the time of Archbishop Diego Xelmírez and was built in the 12th century. The building, located in the Conxo district of Santiago de Compostela, currently houses the well-known Provincial Psychiatric Hospital.
According to tradition, the enclosure was founded by Mrs. Rusuida in order to give a dignified burial to her husband, Almerico Canogio, who was killed in the middle of a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
The story tells that the Rusuida lady used all her capital in the construction of a church for this purpose, to which she gave the name of Santa María de Canogio (Conxo).
In any case, historical documents attribute its foundation to Archbishop Xelmírez, who intended to promote this project in order to house a community of nuns. The inaugural date of the monastery appears on two arches of the Romanesque cloister (1129).
The building has a quadrangular floor plan with granite masonry walls and its current façade dates from the 18th century, designed according to the plan drawn up by Simón Rodríguez. Thus, it is organized on two floors, with a porch designed by Clemente Fernández Sarela and framed by Tuscan columns. These columns are topped by cylinders, which support the entablature on which the balcony and the Mercedarian coat of arms were placed.
The building still preserves two of the wings of the original Romanesque cloister. However, the current facade was built in the 17th century.
The church, as it is known today, is the work of González Araújo and dates from the 18th century. In its interior it conserves a baroque altarpiece with images of Christ crucified of Gregorio Fernandez, in addition to the mentioned portería.
Regarding its structure, the temple has a Latin cross plan, transept, side chapels with a tribune, barrel vault roofs and a half orange dome with a square body on the exterior, and a hipped roof.
This iconic site in the Conxo neighborhood went from being inhabited by Mercedarian nuns and friars to its current use as a Psychiatric Hospital of the public health system, although the church is open as a regular place of worship.
