We observe that the building of the College of the Cardinal or of Nª Sª de la Antigua, is denominated of several forms, most of them incorrect. There is no more to surf the internet and we will see that they call us MONASTERY or CONVENT, sometimes COLEGIATA … All those forms are incorrect.
• A MONASTERY is the building where the members of the monastic Orders live: formed by monks or nuns who live and work in the monastery are cloistered and are linked to the monastery for life, among these Orders we can quote Benedictines, Cistercians, Trappists , Poor Clares …
• A CONVENT is the house of the mendicant Orders, inhabited by friars or sisters who have active participation in the apostolate and live on alms. Among them are the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians and some of their female branches.
• A (HOUSE) CASA is where the Regular Clerics live in communities formed by priests who live under a rule – hence the denomination of regulars – with solemn vows, and have a more active and concrete apostolate. In this case there are Jesuits and Piarists, the two orders that have lived and worked in Nª Señora de la Antigua.
The School Nª Sª de la Antigua was founded, from the first moment in 1593, as a SCHOOL, with a house of religious who attended it. The essential thing is the School and therefore the appropriate denomination is that of COLEGIO. Being also one of the oldest colleges in Galicia and probably the oldest working in the activity for which it was created. It was never a monastery or convent.
Let us name our building as COLEGIO DEL CARDENAL, popular name, but valid, or with its official name COLEGIO DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA ANTIGUA. Never convent or monastery