We sometimes feel a bit overdosed on visiting churches, mosques, shrines and temples despite the fact there are so many beautiful ones in the world. This is why we debated if we were going to visit The Monastery of Santa Catalina (S40 or $10/ticket.) However, Lonely Planet promised it shouldn’t be missed “even if you’re overdosed on colonial edifices.” This proved to be good advice because this 20,000 square meter city within a city founded in 1580 was unlike anything we have seen. It was a meditative and peaceful place to wander, soak in the healing colors, and the luscious sunlight and peeping mountains over the horizon made it all the more more tranquil.
But here’s the less physically obvious facts…this 16th-century monastery was founded to cloister the daughters of wealthy local Spanish families. According to Atlas Obscura, at the time, it was a tradition for the second daughter of a wealthy family to enter a life of service to the church. Life was hard and it was advantageous to have a family member regularly pray for her relatives’ welfare. Elder sons and daughters were normally married off to create ties with other powerful families and to provide for parents in their old age.
A family paid the equivalent of $150,000 for their daughter’s residency at the monastery for four years. They were also expected to provide furnishings and personal items. Novices usually took two family servants to live with them, often a nanny and one of the family cooks. Each apartment included a kitchen, bedroom, and living area. There were also gardens and courtyards to enjoy on the grounds. Each of these novice nuns was given the opportunity after four years to choose between taking lifetime vows, or leaving the convent, the latter of which brought shame upon her family.
When she entered the convent as a novice nun, women were required to zip their lips and vow to a life of complete silence. Their lives were dedicated to only work and prayer.
The colors, as well as architectural styles throughout are just magnificent. At one time, about 150 nuns lived at the monastery, supported by almost 300 servants.
And the mountains seem to form the icing on this beautiful cake.
Nuns were not allowed to have any physical contact or see friends and family outside of the convent. The biggest downside to this cloistered life was that a nun could never leave. No man, except the bishop, ever spoke to the women face-to-face. Family members could visit, but they spoke through a darkened set of wooden grates.
The Spanish influence flows everywhere throughout.
We noticed lots of stairs to nowhere. Seems a bit maddening to us…
Like a true city, there are six named streets within the convent.
One of the many kitchens throughout the complex. All the kitchens had skylights to allow for smoke to pour out, but despite this, were all blanketed in black soot.
Wood fired pizza, anyone?
Or more likely, cuy. Cuy, or guinea pig, you may have heard is a local delicacy in Peru. No, we don’t intend to try it. Apparently, this is the habitat where the nuns would store the little creatures before massacre.
Everywhere you looked, the intricate details were astounding.
Hard not to get hypnotized by this electric blue.
Each apartment included a kitchen, bedroom, and living area. We did notice there were no fireplaces anywhere. It really speaks to the mild Southern California climate of Arequipa that these were never mandatory. There were also gardens and courtyards to enjoy on the grounds. All in all, the digs were definitely not too shabby for the 1600’s. Late 1900’s? Maybe a little less appealing. The monastery opened to the public in the 1970’s. There are still about 30 nuns left at the monastery, but they live in a separate area from visitors and are free to leave the grounds to run errands.
Now this is certainly an interesting plant. Even more interesting is the common name… Giant Hens and Chicks.
The longest street in the convent is actually labeled on Google…. Calle Toledo.
Better install a stop light at this intersection!
How the nuns collected rainwater. Wow, what an inventive system.
Known as the popcorn plant. Surprisingly not based on its look, but on the distinctive scent which “uncannily smells like buttered popcorn” according to our Leaf Snap app. To us, it smelled more like wet dog. Mmm.
Sister Mandy strikes a pose.
We were starting to lose the sunlight by this point on the tour.
Her royal throne…always fun to see loos of the world.
Wonder if this assortment of flowers was always here…
A peek on the rooftop. The juxtaposition of building materials, paint and stone is just splendid.
Catching last moments of the Golden Hour.
A confessional booth. Seriously, they lived and breathed their religion. What did they possibly have to confess about? Maybe…”I should have given Sister Teresa all my cuy meat instead of half?”
