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- Destinations
- South America
- Peru
- Arequipa
- Santa Catalina Monastery
Santa Catalina Monastery
Enclosed within high walls is the Santa Catalina Monastery, an
enormous complex of rooms, pretty little plazas and ornate
fountains, a maze of narrow cobbled streets, chapels, beautifully
decorated archways and boxes of red geraniums. The thick and
brightly painted walls contain numerous cells that once housed over
200 members of the female nobility who chose to shut themselves
away from the rest of the world in a life devoted entirely to
prayer. Some 400 years later the monastery was opened to the world
and since then visitors have been able to wander through the
exquisitely finished gates and admire the valuable collection of
some of the finest examples of existing Spanish American religious
art that decorate the walls.
Today, about 30 resident nuns live out of sight in the northern
part of the complex. Noteworthy is the Orange Tree Cloister,
painted a sky-blue with beautiful murals decorating the vaulted
arches, as well as the huge 17th-century kitchen with its blackened
walls, and the long and narrow street known as Calle Toledo, which
is the oldest part of the monastery and leads to the open air
laundry where the nuns washed their clothes in large jugs filled
from the canal. Unlike any other church compound, Santa Catalina is
a masterpiece of colonial architecture, and is the most fascinating
religious complex in Peru.
Information & Facts
Address
Admission
Language
Spanish and Quechua are the official languages, but many
other dialects are spoken. English is spoken only in major tourist
centres and hotels.
Money
The official currency is Nuevo Sol (PEN) divided into 100
céntimos. Visa is the most widely accepted credit card, but all
major international credit cards, including Diners Club and
MasterCard, are accepted in many, but not all, establishments.
Outside Lima facilities may be more limited. Travellers cheques may
also be difficult to exchange in small towns and villages, and
travellers are advised to have cash on hand. US Dollars are the
easiest currency to exchange and plenty of restaurants, hotels and
shops in the main cities accept dollars for payment.
Casas de cambio(exchange bureaux) often give better rates
than hotels and banks and can be found in any town on the tourist
circuit. ATMs are available in the main cities.
Opening Times
Daily 9am-5pm, last entry at 4pm.
Time