Santa Express

June 16th, 2009

Santa Express

Santa Catalina Monastery, Arequipa, Peru

Monasterio de Santa Catalina, or Santa Catalina Monastery located in Arequipa, Peru is highly worth the entry price for an afternoon of relaxation. Here you will explore the historic grounds of this still active monastery, once closed to the public. Now the space is an art gallery of sorts with rooms that expose the history of the monastery, paintings of the past greats and furniture of the simple life of the clerics who lived here.

The citadel itself is very large, a small village of sorts, making it easy to wander all afternoon. It is broken down into main areas consisting of the Frontispiece Monastery, Cloister of the Orange Trees, Silence Yard, Main Cloister, Cordova Street, Zocodover Square, Sevilla Street, the Kitchen, Burgos Street, the Laundry, Belfry Tower and the Church. Each area provides ample postcard worthy photography opportunities.

There is an impressive master hall area with high-vaulted ceilings in the shape of a cross as you enter into the main area of the monastery. Here you will find displays of some of the nearly 400 paintings that have been restored from the grounds of the Santa Catalina. Much of the work displayed are religious pieces painted by masters of both the European and Cuzqueno schools of painting making this a great collection of art work to compare and contrast the blending of the Spanish and Inca cultures. The originality of the style developed in colonial South America is profoundly expressive and fascinating to inspect.

The art gallery is not necessarily the drawl for all visitors to this monastery though. Many come to explore the dozens of cloisters, cells and corridors splashed with the warm colors of blue and terracotta that sharply contrast the starch white of the exposed sillar walls. Each room is a glimpse of the past life of the woman and family members who lived here. Licensed by Viceroy Francisco Toledo, the monastery housed the Order of Saint Catherine of Siena nuns and was built with the fortune of the widow Dona Maria de Guzman in the late 1500s. Santa Catalina became a very private home for the resident nuns until very recently when the monastery finally opened its doors to the public under the pressure of the city government.

The architecture of the monastery, like the rest of the city center of Arequipa, is constructed of white sillar, a porous stone from volcanic lava. The style is mainly colonial with a mestizo nature influence and a variety of small but fine decorative details that span from the 1580s. This mix of period design is primarily due to the many earthquakes that the city has ridden out, creating a necessity for constant construction within the grounds walls.

The views from the steeple and the relaxing café and restaurant are great places to site relax and reflect on the hundreds of years of rich culture that Arequipa, let alone Peru have to offer the world. The city of Arequipa is lucky to house this amazing and breathtaking sanctuary for visitors and locals alike to unwind and enjoy.

About the Author

This guide to Arequipa during Peru vacations was written by a Peru travel expert at Peru For Less, specialists in high value, fully customizable tours and packages.

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Inland Lakes Railway's Santa Express