The Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Convent of Our Lady of the Conception) in Beja was founded in 1459 by Prince D. Fernando and Princess D. Brites, the parents of King D. Manuel I and Queen D. Leonor. Over the years, it has undergone aesthetic updates and improvements, thus offering a rich perspective on Gothic, Manueline, and Baroque art. It was in this convent that lived Mariana Alcoforado, presumed author of the “Letters of a Portuguese Nun”, a classic of 17th-century literature. The Convent was classified as a National Monument in 1922. In 1927, the Beja Regional Museum was created there, expanding the existing collection with archaeological, tile, sacred art, and painting collections from other convents and palaces in the region.