On a female teaching institution: the Purísima Concepcion School for orphan girls in Granada (1753-1800)

Abstract

In 1753 The Purísima Concepción School for stray orphan girls is stablished in Granada. It is an institution that, under the management of the Real Hospicio, gives refuge to the orphans wandering the streets of Granada. With the aim of avoiding physical as well as spiritual damage that these girls could undergo, the Purísima Concepcion School carries out the highly commendable task of sheltering them. Once there the so called Madres Beatas, nuns in charge of the institution, educated them. They were instructed in the Catholic catechism and drilled in praying. They also received elementary schooling and were trained in those skills that could be more useful to them when they got married or found a job as a servant.