[1][2] Part of the land used to erect the primitive convent was donated at the end of the 16th century by nobleman António Coelho (a squire in the house of King Duarte), and his wife Catarina Vaz Velho, whom he married in Vila do Porto.

[2][5] Reconstruction of the convent only occurred 1725, under the initiative of friar Agostinho de São Francisco, who was responsible for conserving the original azulejo tiles.

By 31 July 1970 it had already been classified as a Property of Public Interest in decree 251/70 by the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) (General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments).

[10] The Church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória (Our Lady of Victory)is a long rectangular temple grafted along one wall of the cloister (to the right of the main entranceway) and is also three storeys tall.

On the nave wall on the side of the epistle, is the Chapel of Santo António, covered in 16th century azulejos (in blue, yellow and white) with two panels depicting the life of Saint Anthony.

[10] The square-shaped bell-tower, which is the main entrance the municipal offices and cloister, extends to three-floors, and topped by a railing of balusters, with ornate cornices and parapet with pinnacles.

[10] The courtyard is dominated by a large, square cistern made of volcanic blocks, dating to 1680, as stated on the inscription on one of its sides[6][10] Besides the century plants there are three elegant palm trees (Archantophoenix elegans); originally four, the area in the southwest corner was replaced by a species of Livistona chinensa to maintain the symmetry.