We were not really sure what to expect of Arequipa before we arrived. Our guidebook says that it is an attractive and exciting city, but it also says that things in Peru cost half as much as they actually do and that the water in Huanchaco in December is warm enough for swimming. After we arrived from depressing Pisco, we found out the book is actually right this time. The city is flanked with snowcapped mountains and volcanoes and is full of colonial buildings built with local white volcanic rock. The highlight of the historical center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the Santa Catalina Monastery.
You're probably wondering how interesting a monastery can be. I'm with you. Magge and I went to a monastery in Quito (also called Santa Catalina), and I was bored out of my mind. However, this monastery was one of the most interesting sites we've seen so far. It covers an entire block (20,000 square meters) and is surrounded by high walls, making it look like a fortress from the outside, but is colorful and intimate on the inside. Built in 1580, nearly no outsiders saw the interior until the mayor of Arequipa forced the monastery to modernize and open to the public in 1970. Magge and I spent two hours wandering around and probably set a new record for pictures taken in a two hour span. Some more of these pictures are in the full post.
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The colors are striking, beautifully framed pictures. Amazing something was walled away from the outside world until so recently. Enjoy Cuzco!
ReplyDeleteIf you combined all these vividly colorful pictures of the monastery into one mosaic and frame it I bet it would be quite the conversational piece at your place. It looks like a place to be seen but not touch. It has a very pristine aura. Is it still inhabited?
ReplyDeleteDo you know if they use striking colors purposefully or randomly?
Love ya, xo
Nuns still live there, but in a separate complex that was built to conform to the modern building regulations the mayor imposed (plumbing, electricity, etc). The public does not have access to the new area.
ReplyDeleteI'm not aware of a reason for the color scheme, although there very well could be one.
I´m liking the mosaic idea! I am going to be so busy with pictures when we get home from this trip!
ReplyDeleteMagge,
ReplyDeleteAlmost makes you want to be a Nun - almost.
I would definitely have wanted to be a nun in Santa Catalina´s earlier days :-)
ReplyDeletewow,who knew that the colors salmon and blue could look so beautiful in a city!The water trough, where is the water coming from and what is the water used for?
ReplyDeleteWho knew a monastery could be so interesting! Is there a particular reason why the monastery was painted salmon and blue? Did it use to represent something? Miss you!
ReplyDeleteLiam, the water was used by the nuns to wash their clothes. I don't know exactly where it comes from, but it is probably piped in from a mountain stream.
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