Valencia

The nuns of the convent of San Antonio de Padua, in Toledo, have found in the production of artisanal ice cream a new source of income during the summer, when the demand for sweets and marzipan falls, and they have also found a way to connect with new customers “who say they have never tasted such good ice cream.”

This is what one of the nuns, Sister Matilde, explained to the EFE Agency in the courtyard of the convent where they showed off the ice creams they have for sale.

The convent of San Antonio de Padua has witnessed the history of the city since the mid-16th century, when it was founded, during the time of Cardinal Cisneros, by María de la Fuente, who established the institution with the help of her aunt Catalina de la Fuente, wife of an alderman.

Currently, there are eight nuns living in the convent and they are dedicated to making sweets and ice cream, in addition to their religious and internal duties at the monastery.

Sister Matilde explained that ice cream production began just over a year ago due to the low demand for sweets in summer.

THE CLARISSES OF GANDIA. The nuns looked for more attractive alternatives for the summer season and the Poor Clares of Gandía, in the province of Valencia, were the ones who taught the women of Toledo the art of making ice cream: “Sister Esther was the first to learn, followed by other sisters who spent three days in Gandía,” said Sister Matilde.

Among the most popular ice cream flavours are marzipan, custard, mascarpone and lemon, all made with natural raw materials, whole milk, cream, sugar and milk powder.

The products are sold in the convent’s shop, located on the central street of Santo Tomé, in the heart of the historic center of Toledo.

“Production is limited due to the number of artisans available,” said the nun, adding that they have varied the flavours according to customer demand.

The production of ice cream at San Antonio de Padua has generated a change in the internal dynamics of the association over the months and a significant impact on the lives of the nuns, since one or two people are exclusively in charge of this task.

“We have had to adapt, but customer satisfaction is worth it,” said Sister Matilde, who stressed: “It is very gratifying when customers say they have never tasted such good ice cream.”

The community has found in this activity not only a source of income, but also a way to connect with the public, and there are already tourist guides who recommend trying the ice creams made by the nuns of San Antonio de Padua.

“What I remember most is the joy of the people, the satisfaction when they say how delicious they are,” the nun added.

The convent does not plan to expand its production, but it is experimenting with new flavours and, in fact, “salted caramel has been a recent success,” said Sister Matilde, who recommends that other convents look for tasks and activities with public demand that benefit and help maintain their facilities, in many cases of high heritage value.

This initiative may be a way to keep the tradition of the convent alive while adapting to contemporary needs.

Specifically, to help the nuns in the convents to be able to support themselves until the end of 2023, the Association of Friends of the Convents of Toledo was established, whose objective is to care for the residents of the 35 cloistered convents in the Archdiocese of Toledo.