It was the first religious building that was built around 1540 in Queretaro and became the center of the most important urban development in New Spain.

The temple functioned as a cathedral between 1865 and 1922. The choir loft preserves the beautiful stone and the relief of St. James the Apostle, patron of the city can be seen on the façade.

Today the former convent houses the Regional Museum of Queretaro, famous for its pre-Columbian room, the recently opened colonial room, and the different spaces that tell about the most important events in the history of Mexico.