The triangular-shaped district was enclosed by four gates and had the not so sought-after privilege of providing shelter and refuge to criminals persecuted by nobles or civil authorities. Three of the entryways were demolished to allow Ana of Austria’s retinue to pass when she came for her wedding with Philip II. From the church onwards, the respectable houses had courtyards and gardens with flowers and vegetables. Isolated locations for a peaceful canonical life. The Saint Joseph Convent, located at Marqués del Arco 40, is inhabited by an enclosed order to this very day. St. Teresa of Jesus established the community in 1574 while in search of solitude and withdrawal from society. In medieval times, three religions coexisted amicably around this square. There was a convent, a madrasa, or Muslim high school, and a synagogue all in close proximity. The Hebrew temple was located where the government building sits in the modern day.