The origin of the retreats or houses of strict religious observance go back to the XVI Century, due to the flourishing of the Renaissance disputes, divisions and the loss of the monastic discipline in the Church initiated. In 1583, some clergymen met in the city of Toledo to look for a solution and solve this disorder and thus avoid the influence of these new important ideas. Then, retreats emerge as a response to the chaos the Church faced. These were houses in which the religious led a more rigorous spiritual life, strengthening their inner life and reasserting their vocation, through strict devotion.

In Chile, the conditions to build a retreat center were provided in 1643, when the marriage without descendants of Field Master Nicolás García and María Ferreira, both devotees of San Francisco, donated to the Franciscans a piece of land in La Chimba, with the idea of building a house that strictly observed the devotion to San Francisco. In addition, there would be a temple for the people of La Chimba. With the constant increase in the river levels it was impossible to have access to the churches located in the downtown area of the city and the only chapel located in the sector, built by Ramón Aguayo, was too small for the growing population of la Chimba.

In 1643 starts the building of the Recoleta Franciscana (Franciscan Recoleta) retreat center, under the devotion of “Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza”, whose image was brought from the Spanish city of Andujar. A simple chapel is similarly built where the Aguayo one previously stood.

This retreat is built relatively independent from the Franciscan Order, because it has its own regulations since it is a house of reclusion. Such is the case that the retreat monks used a different color habit, adopting the grey ash color in their clothes as a way of evidencing their thoughts and holy vow of poverty.

Construction concludes in 1645 and very quickly the place becomes a place of encounter, and a community center.

The building collapses with the 1730 earthquake, is then rebuilt, and the works conclude its construction in 1811. This new building is formed by four cloisters; each had a yard and corridors, forming a building with a simple, somber and severe aspect, staying as such for more than a century without suffering many modifications.

Once the beautifying of the temple is finished with works of great value, the Independence process made Blanco Encalada order that the property of the Recoleta Franciscana would be used by the Army of Los Andes, due to the lack of adequate buildings for this purpose, and the army extended its stay there until after the Battle of Maipú in 1818.

The lands are only returned to the Recoletos in 1820 and, one year later, they were abandoned again to welcome the Clarisas de la Victoria nuns, since their property in the Arms Square was sold by the government, needing the resources to form a new army that would end with the Montoneras de Benavides who were devastating the southern zone of the country.

The religious order had three hours to leave their facilities and it generated such discontent that, in protest, the Recoletos filled the square with books and other property. They, in turn, were welcomed by the monks of the Recoleta Dominica and many years later, in 1837, they were able to return to their convent.

In 1843, Padre Vicente Crespo starts to reconstruct the Church, Antonio Vidal directs the work formed by three naves and construction starts in 1845. In 1848, it is said that Fermín Vivaceta participated and made some modifications to the interior columns, a new façade and the construction of the tower.

It is worth noting the figure of Fray Andresito in the building of the new temple, who in 1843 participates by collecting alms and begging for money, managing to get the largest economic contribution for the construction of the church. Due to his virtues of humility and simplicity, he has become a popular icon of great devotion and, is currently the central pillar behind the social work of the Recoleta Franciscana.

Finally, in 1905 the Recoletos go on to fully depend on the Franciscan Order, even abandoning the ash grey color habit for the brown one that is characteristic of the Franciscans.