El Privilegio de La Pobreza

Life in enclosed convents remains little known and surrounded by preconceptions. This work seeks to spark interest in their inhabitants, raise questions and deepen our understanding of a way of life in which silence and solitude accompany contemplation. Each of these women made a personal choice, guided by her convictions and a wish to devote her life to others.

These are independent women who support themselves through their work and devote much of the day to their tasks and to prayer. They share a close community while retaining their individual personalities. They face difficulties with realism, courage and hope, in daily lives shaped by effort, affection and joy.

Kike Aspano’s first visit inside the enclosure transformed the vision he had imagined for the project. He found light, activity, austerity and simplicity, together with a quiet joy expressed in small gestures. He was particularly moved by the nuns’ gaze: the peace, trust and gentleness they brought to each encounter.

The book brings together this human heritage and shows what happens within the convent walls. Its photographs invite us to get to know the Poor Clares through the intimacy of their daily lives and discover how each woman lives out her choice, with a serenity and vitality that challenge the sadness often associated with enclosure.