The earliest mention of the site was a recreational palace, the Dar As-Sugra located outside Murcia's walls in Arrixaca which had access to water from an irrigation canal running along its southern side.

The ruling family also possessed the Alcázar Mayor, the primary royal residence located in the southern part of Murcia, near the Segura River.

However, in 1365, Peter I of Castile donated his royal chambers to Abbess Berenguela de Espín and the Order of the Poor Clares, which have owned it ever since.

In 1367, the nuns obtained permission from Bishop Nicolás de Aguilar to repurpose the semi-ruined palace into a convent.

The monastery flourished at the end of the 15th century, receiving the patronage of the Catholic Monarchs, which enabled the construction of the cloister and a new Gothic church.